Maplestory, The Novel
by Tatsumari
Summary: (current book uploading: Guardians [S2]) It all began with curiosity. That curiosity turned to desperation. That desperation turned to hate. That hate, turned to war that would span millennia in just a few moments. One man's quest to rid the world of Darkness would be met with resistance unlike any the world had seen before. Would he win? Only time and discovery could answer that.
1. ST - Preface

Legend for season Titles and Possible Seasons to come in the chapter names:

ST - Sacred Tears (S1)

G - Guardians (S2)

ND - New Dawn (S3)

LP - Legends of the Past (S4)

FN - Falling Night (working title [S5])

GO - Guardians of Ossyria (working title [S6])

Enjoy!

* * *

Looking back at her life before she had met him, before he had grown up, before he had even been born, Ariel would often ask herself why she hadn't seen the darkness. Why hadn't she seen _his_ darkness? Why was it that she hadn't foreseen what her choices would lead to? She was a goddess, a goddess of time no less. Yet foresight for what this man would persuade her to do would never come.

"Forgive me, my daughter Rhinne." She breathed helplessly as Rhinne and the man she both feared and loved were frozen within a seal. She could undo the temporal seal placed around them but then what? Magus Sloe's breaking of Rhinne's sleeping spell was halted only because of the seal. If the seal was gone, he would break through the complex sleeping spell in a matter of moments and then fend off Ariel to escape. If that happened all of Usoria would likely be erased from existence. The only other way she could ensure Usoria's safety was to kill her Rhinne.

But, how could she? Rhinne was her daughter; an innocent child caught in the tides of a fallen man's thirst for power and a desperate woman's search for peace. Yes, she was a goddess with limitless power at her disposal, but even that power had a weakness. And Magus Sloe was the one who wielded that power; the darkest power that existed within Usoria: Black Magic.

* * *

 ** _Slight alteration made in the middle - 11-14-18_**


	2. ST - Chapter 1: Tinge

Chapter 1: Tinge

 _She had tried everything that she could think of battling against the thousands of his soldiers and still he came as though he were brushing aside a lock of hair. The last-ditch effort was to run to the inner most chambers where Rhinne was for safe keeping and escape from their home, the Temple of Time. Running past the final line of defense, she called the Oblivion Knights to attention, telling Lykyra that they must hold the line._

 _The red bull nodded, turning his attention to the sound of marching down the hall. Fire blazed around his hooves and horns, billowing from his snout. Ariel could hear the sound of her final and most powerful General let out a desperate billow, the thunder of his hooves fading down the hall and crashing into the oncoming soldiers._

 _She hoped that she he could hold Sloe long enough to gather Rhinne and escape. When Ariel burst through the doors she realized she was too late. Sloe was already standing next to her bed, gently brushing his finger across her cheek as she slept._

 _"I'm surprised she's managed to sleep through the sounds of battle." Sloe smirked._

 _"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ariel screamed, holding her hand out as a flame roared to life. Sloe appeared before her, grabbing her wrist with leisurely speed and locking eyes with her, malevolent whispers hanging in the air around them._

* * *

Shrieking cries of a woman in labor split the evening air in Margata, minutes dragging as hours. The lights of Carl's home dimmed and flashed with this child's arrival into the world making him momentarily ponder it. As the child began to emerge, the mother's cries came all the higher as the child pulled his way out of his mother. With another great heave from Adelia, the child was at last free letting out a great cry, screaming his distaste of the world's cold air. His screams were soon rested wrapped in a warm blanket and brought to his exhausted mother and proud father.

"Have you a name for the child?" Carl asked with eager curiosity. Adelia, unable to breath fully, looked to her husband for a moment. Leaning down to Adelia's face to hear her exhausted whispers Maxus, the father, repeated the name she had picked out even before she had married.

"Dane. His name shall be Dane." answered Maxus, cradling Dane in one arm while holding the hand of Adelia as she fell asleep. Carl nodded and moved aside allowing nurses to come in to tend to the mother and child, ensuring no complications would come to either of them. After a few days the new small family began a journey to holy city of Orion, a custom in Usoria. There the child would be blessed by a priest in The Order of Minerna, an honor that most considered to come at a high price.

Those that didn't have the money would call for a traveling Bishop to bless their child in the name of one of three deities who ruled time, light or life. Unfortunately, many children lived out their lives without a blessing as Bishops were so few. Those that did exist were tasked with hundreds of thousands of families seeking such a blessing or spiritual aid. Adelia and Maxus were fortunate enough to be among the few that could afford a blessing of Minerna.

"I wonder what kind of man he will grow up to be." Adelia said as they boarded the Land Ship which would take them from Margata to Arentia, a larger city in the middle of a sandy sea.

"Only time will tell my love. Fate is a funny thing here in Usoria. Many have the power to change it, while others are guided by it to a destiny we will never understand." He smiled, presenting his ticket to the usher and filing his way to their seats when the driver's voice filled the cabin.

"Thank you all for coming. This journey should take us approximately 9 hours, assuming that we don't have any problems. I know there are children aboard, so we will have some entertainment for them. Also, we will have food and drink. Please remember to stay in your seats and thank you again for choosing us to be your charter." The pilot announced, returning to the cabin to begin their journey. As Adelia was getting settled, she couldn't help but _look up to see an odd man staring at her and Dane. He was pale with a dark cloak covering his head and body. Turning away from him, she could feel a slight pressure on the front if her head but passed if off as a bit of a headache from lack of water._

 _From the corner of her eye she would see the man still staring at her, his glare feeling as if it were burrowing into her very soul where sorrows she had felt in the past came to bear. The longer she watched, the more intense his red-eyed gaze seemed to become. Still the memories plagued her: Her first pet dying and wondering why it had to be her pet. Her first break up, the death of her grandmother and grandfather, being rejected by prestigious schools. All of it came trickling back to her. Shaking her head, she focused her tear stained attention to the sleeping babe in her arms._

 _Instead, the face of a pale man wrapped in a black cloak stared back at her. Panicked she looked back to the man who held his uncomfortable gaze as she felt a presence come near to her ear. It was torrid and full of hate, stifling even. The presence drew even closer to her ear and whispered with hot breath._

 _"This is but the beginning…_ " A noise jolted Adelia awake, the side of her face hot from leaning against the window.

"My dear? Is everything alright? You're pale." Maxus asked, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Adelia looked over to him, noting that he was holding Dane in his arms who lay fast asleep.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, brushing the long hair out of her face while passing a glance to a seat across the aisle where a young boy sat.

"For most of the trip; we're only a few miles outside of Arentia. Are you sure that you're alright?" Maxus asked, looking in the direction she had been staring.

"I… I haven't…" But the words she wanted to say just weren't coming to her. And the man that she thought she saw was nowhere to be seen.

"You were tossing and turning in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?" Maxus asked, resituating Dane in one arm and putting the other around Adelia.

"I wouldn't really call it a nightmare so much as it was a very intense dream or vision." She whispered. Maxus smiled and rubbed her arm from around her back.

"Don't worry; nothing can hurt you here so long as I am here." He said, kissing the side of her head. All the same, Adelia couldn't help but wonder if what she had seen was a dream or a vision. It almost felt as if a very real presence were standing next to her in her dream that were familiar somehow. Perhaps her family lineage coming from prominent Shaman of Azwan was playing a small part. Within minutes her mind calmed, forgetting about the dream as they pulled into the bustling city of Arentia.

Adelia couldn't help but notice the periodic beggars and homeless that skirted the Market place and station as they made their way to the main station. Maxus' work as a scientist in Margata often left them with a surplus of money. Most if not all would be donated to the traveling Bishops visiting Margata to help people such as these. As he rifled through his pockets for his coin purse Maxus caught her stare and sighed.

"We've done what we can my love. The Bishops know how to best handle the distributions." He said, trying to quicken his actions to find his coin purse holding their tickets for the next Galleon.

"But is it doing any good? Are we the _only_ ones helping?" She asked, noting that the air of this station felt particularly heavy. A strange thing to notice to be sure, but all the same was odd.

"We can't make people help, we can only help with what we can and hope they will follow suit. Where is that blasted purse!" he said with emphasis. Adelia chuckled and reached in his pocket, pulling it out and looking into it for the tickets.

"I have it." she said as they quickly made their way to the Galleon. Once there, they settled into their first-class seats making sure that Dane was fed and settled as the ship gently pulled out of the dock for Orion. Adelia had no more visions and her feelings from the previous ride already died away leaving her hopeful and at peace. As the Galleon glided into the dock, two attendants came aboard and sought out the couple, presenting a decorative pendant sporting a large blue gem.

"We were sent by Bredson of Minerna's Order to escort you to the Great Hall." They explained. Maxus and Adelia both nodded in agreement, following them over the cobble stone roads to a building decorated with grand wings on the roof. Inside, intricate gold designs woven into walls and fabrics depicted events and people from all times. Near the back of the building sat a large marble statue of a woman, her arms outstretched to the floor and her wise eyes smiling down on any below.

Once near the main sanctuary, the attendants directed them where to meet with the Fatri and bid them farewell. As they neared where they were to meet the Fatri, they could overhear sounds of grumbling coming from one of the side rooms.

"I am a Fatri of Minerna, not some lowly bishop to be summoned for a child's blessing. You would think the order would acknowledge that." Maxus and Adelia looked to one another as they waited the Fatri pushed aside the curtain and exited the room still adjusting the sash around his shoulder. When he caught sight of them, he squared his shoulders and folded his hands.

"Welcome to the temple of Minerna. I trust the child is healthy?" The priest sighed while stepping closer to them.

"Yes Fatri; A healthy boy by the name of Dane." Adelia answered. Holding out his hand and turning his head away, the Fatri waited for one of them to take it and kiss his ring. The two of them looked to one another in confusion unsure of what needed to be done. When a long while went by without any action being taken he opened one of his eyes and looked down, wiggling his hand twice and waiting for them to kiss his ring.

"I'm sorry to ask, but has something changed within the customs of Minerna's Order that I am unaware of?" The Fatri's shoulders slumped and turned his eyes up into his brow, dropping his hand to his side.

"I _am_ a Fatri of Minerna and should be shown the respect as such as I am the voice of the Great Mother herself." he answered with a huff, holding his hand out once more, this time making it much clearer his ring should be kissed. Maxus bowed low and apologized, taking his hand and bowing enough that he forehead touched the ring. The Fatri rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away, holding his hands out to receive the child.

" _Dust bitten rats should be taught better._ " He thought, looking over Dane's facial features and serious blue-grey eyes as he was placed in his arms. As the Fatri looked him over, the air around the three of them almost seemed to dim as something felt like it washed over him. A presence of duality and despair filled with deep rooted pain as thoughts of his late son came to mind.

"W-what is it that you would like the child blessed with?" he stammered while memories of his son rushed to him. He had performed this very same blessing on his own newborn son nearly 10 years ago.

"We only wish that he would grow to be a happy and prosperous man someday." Maxus said, putting his arm around Adelia and pulling her close. The priest nodded, turning to the main alter, trying to compose himself for the actual blessing. His vision blurred as he recited the blessing under the intense gaze of the child making his heart ache. It was as if the child was burrowing into his very soul and grasping onto the pain he still carried even after almost a decade had passed. He and his wife had been trying for years, and when his son was finally born they were overjoyed. But a week after the blessing, the small child became ill and passed away. When at last the blessing was complete, the priest's voice hitched and waivered as he spoke to the parents.

"May Minerna smile upon you and the days of your child; there is something strong at work with this family. Go in peace." The priest smiled, folding his hands and watching them as they left, cuddling their child and speaking to him. When at last they were out of sight, the priest collapsed to his knees and broke down bawling. After he had buried his child, the grief was too much for his wife to take and she threw herself from the top most tower of Minerna's temple. The priests said she had been begging Minerna for answers but when it seemed no answer came she jumped. Being a man of the Order, the Fatri repressed his pain and buried himself in the work of the goddess to never again have to bless another child.

"What fate will befall this child that he would have such power?" he asked to the winds, asking another priest to take over for him while he dealt with his pain.

* * *

Adelia walked to the far side of her father's study, looking over the railing into Azwan below; a large city carved into the rock below the sand. Its entrance was marked only by a massive black obelisk and palace-like building among the endless wave of sand. Maxus and Dane sat near her father Vusron's desk opposite the railing where scrolls and tomes lay scattered.

"And you're sure that nothing like this had happened before?" Vusron asked, holding his chin and he searched through a scroll before tossing it aside and picking up a nearby tome.

"Yes, I am quite sure." Adelia responded, watching as one of the many Shamans and their apprentices walked through the city below. Sighing heavily, Vusron closed the tome and set it aside on his desk.

"I don't know what to tell you Adelia. From what you've told me, you merely had a dream on your way to Orion. If anything, it could be you inherited the gift of sight from..." Vusron stopped himself and looked up to Adelia as she now stared longingly at a painting of her mother hanging on the wall. A proud but beautiful woman with cascades of light brown hair. Maxus looked up and noticed the hurt in Adelia's eyes and the distance in Vusron's.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"I know Father." Adelia replied, folding her arms and hugging herself.

"Your mother was a very powerful Shamaness, even more so than I and loved by all. Perhaps some of that power has rubbed off on you." Vusron said, walking over to Adelia and placing a hand on her shoulder while speaking low to her.

"Whatever happens, you and Maxus are always welcome here in Azwan. Always remember that you don't have to be bound by your heritage." Vusron comforted, both of them hugging each other before the small family left through the main gate, escorted by two large Guards until they were on their way in a Sand Sailor. AS they were leaving, Maxus heard one of the Guards scoff loudly.

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder when that traitor's daughter would leave." Maxus looked back to Adelia, wondering if she had heard only to see that she bowed hee head, trying to keep a single tear from falling.

"Why would you let them talk to you like that?" Maxus pressed once they had been seated and were well on their way

"It has to do with what happened to my mother but its not something that I like to talk about." Adelia replied sharply pulling Dane into her lap.

"I saw the look both you and your father had when you looked at that painting and I know what it means. What happened?"

"Just leave it alone."

"Adelia, the most that I know about your mother is that she died. What I saw in there means something more happened. Please, tell me. What happened to your mother?" Maxus pressed. Adelia curled her lips inward, trying to keep her tears from falling as she looked up to the ceiling, battling with herself on whether or not she should tell him. She reached through the collar of her shirt and pulled from it the necklace she always wore.

"My mother, as my father said, was powerful. A Grand Shameness, nearly a Master. As such her to duties in Usoria were more dangerous than most could handle. One of those duties was to manage the power stored within the great obelisk you see there." Adelia pointed through the back window to a large spear shaped object in front of the city entrance.

"Only those of Chieftain or higher were given such a responsibility. One day the Grand Master Shaman Informed us that a surge of power welling up from Usoria was coming. That rise would cause the power within the Obelisk to become unstable if left alone and could be dangerous. She and six other Grand Shaman were put in charge of maintaining the power during the surge. Three days before the surge was to hit, all seven of them began to siphon some of the power out of it and into storage runes to ease their burden at the behest of my Father, a Tending Shaman."

"If they were so far apart in rank, how did they meet?" Maxus interrupted.

"That is something for another time. When the surge did finally come, it was more intense than originally thought and the power began to destabilize. Just as the Shaman were beginning to regain control, the stored power somehow ricocheted back into the Obelisk knocking them all unconscious. My mother was the first to come to. If nothing was done quickly, the entirety of its power would be released: the devastation would be immense. My father knew what would happen if that much power was set loose, pulling my mother away. The looks they gave each other shouted what they knew must be done.

"My mother decided to bleed off power back into the storage runes while my father woke the others to regain control of the Obelisk's power. As my mother began, the power didn't bleed off at her will but rather flooded through her body, instantly filling the runes. She tried to make her body another storage container but within seconds her mind was lost and began attacking those around her. The other Shaman did what they could to bleed off the power she had absorbed, but it was already too late.

"When at last they did manage to subdue her, there was nothing left of the woman that everyone knew. The last thing I remember of her was her looking up into my father's eyes before dying in his arms. When it was all over, the people of Azwan brought charges of treason against my mother and father. Both of them were accused of attempting a coup by using the power of the Obelisk, and that this surge was to be their cover.

"My Father and I would have been banished from Azwan had he and my uncle fought the accusations as hard as they could. Eventually the king and the counsel were convinced that my mother only reacted to a dire situation allowing us to remain in Azwan. Legally, we have been pardoned. But the people and shaman still shame her any chance they get." Adelia looked down to Dane noticing that his gaze was almost comforting, reaching out of his blanket for her. Maxus put his arms around her holding her tightly while kissing her head, saying nothing as they rode the coach back into Margata.

Once home, Adelia settled into her life as a mother while Maxus returned to his work as one of the lead researchers within Margata alongside their brightest mind, Dr. Mathias Long. Known as a major alchemical hub within Usoria, Margata was home to some rather dangerous experiments between two units collaborating between each other. The Acaldos were a group specializing in mechanical and bio-mechanical alchemy led by a man named Madae Sung. The Zumiste Society as they called themselves, specialized in what they referred to as True Alchemy led by a wise man named Carl Jameson. This wing used nothing more than raw materials to create what they needed. Both factions had been researching the possibility of transferring a human body into a mechanical body spear headed by Dr. Long.

"Now tell me again doctor, why are we proceeding with this kind of unethical experiment?" Maxus asked as Dr. Long looked over a report pertaining to their last experiment of memory transfusion.

"I fear my wife and daughter will outlive me. As you know, my wife Felicia is of the last remaining Sylph Fairies and my daughter Keni shares her bloodline very strongly. Because of that bloodline, I fear that I will be gone many years before they even begin to age." Dr. Long reached under his shirt and produced a locket, opening the cover and revealing a picture of two beautiful dark-haired women standing back to back.

"Keni is healthy despite the odds of half fairies often being weak. This experiment is really for myself to create a body that lives as long as they do. Keni is already into her mid-teens, and there is so much that I have to experience with them. I don't want to give that up just yet." Maxus smiled as he understood what Dr. Long meant. He wouldn't want to give up his family, not for all the meso in Usoria.

Months turned into years, experiments for various parts of the body were performed and then added. Maxus would sometimes bring Dane to the lab where he watched in awe as chemicals would mix, elements merged, or a piece of machinery would come to life.

Through those years, Dane would learn from the alchemic masters within Margata. His mind absorbed everything he touched, excelling in everything. His ability to learn complicated subjects quickly would isolate him from people as he became despised and idolized for both his intelligence and his snow-white hair, a point of swarm attraction among young women especially.

Retreating to his room once the day had ended, Dane would pour over tomes on any number of subjects, safe and alone. He also developed a habit of addressing his parents by their first names. At first, Adelia and Maxus though it odd that he would address them as such. But as time passed, it became apparent that it was not out of disrespect or a feeling of superiority, but rather a quirk of his personality.

Once he had finished with the schools of Margata at the tender age of 13, he set his sights to the schools of Usoria, focusing his study into the art of magic. Again he found that he excelled in learning and understanding of magic, so much so that he could even out pace his masters within a short time. It was through this study he felt the first tinge of darkness, or rather understood what he had felt all his life. Something was wrong with the world. It was faint but it was there; the world was warped. After studying abroad for nearly three years he spent days locked in his room, reading through history books and magic tomes to find the answer to this burning question.

"I'm worried about him Maxus." Adelia said one day, watching as Dane poured over one of his books. Maxus looked passed her to Dane, furrowing his brow.

"I've tried getting him to come down to the labs and help with the experiments, but he always just comes right back here. I don't know what will get him out of the house." Maxus replied, sighing long. Adelia was about to respond to him when a knock came at the door. Carl and Madae both had come with a small folder and hopeful expressions on their faces.

"Are the both of you free? There is something that we would like to discuss." Carl asked, motioning for the two of them to come outside. Maxus grabbed a cloak for both of them as they headed out into the cooling night.

"Yes? What's the matter?" Adelia asked. Being Master of Liquid Melding she along with Maxus had been granted a seat on the Alchemic Council of Margata.

"Both Madae and I have seen the progress that your son has made in his studies under us, and within his own undertakings. With careful consideration we would like to nominate him for the position of Master Alchemist." Madae snorted, turning to Carl with disdain in his eyes.

"Carl here is the one that thinks that the boy could be considered. While he does show much promise, I still think that it is too early for such a responsibility to be laid before him." Maxus held up his hands between them.

"Brothers, brothers, there is no need to bicker. I agree with Madae in that such a responsibility is normally a very large responsibility to set on anyone, let alone such a young person. But Dane is no ordinary boy, as I'm sure that you have seen."

"Then you agree that his nomination would be a great thing?" Carl asked eagerly. Maxus looked to Adelia for an answer, feeling that she would be able to best answer the question.

"Dane has been spending a lot of time pouring over books; much more than I think is healthy. Do not misunderstand me; I am proud of him for soaking up so much knowledge from our libraries and beyond. However, I believe that his obsession with researching whatever has his attention at this moment is bordering on the outrageous. Something like this I believe would break his endless cycle allowing him to interact with others, furthering the advancement of alchemy here in Margata." With her agreement for Dane's nomination, Carl and Madae left to prepare the paperwork and the eventual vote for all of Margata.

When the day came, the votes appointed Dane as Master Alchemist. But he was still engrossed in his work to find what it was that made the world as unbalanced as it had become. When at last the results of the town were shown to him he blatantly refused.

"Dane, why don't you take this opportunity? It would suit you well." Adelia urged as Dane brushed back his hair, which had become quite long.

"Adelia, there are things in this world that you or anyone here in Margata wouldn't understand, and I mean in the strongest way possible with no offence. This world is warped and being the leader of Margata would only hinder me in finding why." Maxus narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. New and difficult things to understand always interested him, even if he didn't understand them in the first place.

"What do you mean 'warped'?" Dane rested his head on three fingers and looked up at Maxus from under his silver locks.

"It's not something that can be solved by simply applying a science to it Maxus. This goes beyond simple transmutations and algorithms. Darkness has saturated this world and is only becoming worse. I am going to find a way to stop it." Dane stated. Maxus' interest deepened; he had to know what it was that his son had stumbled upon.

"This is something that I don't think you would be able to help me with Maxus. This is a path that leads to some very dark places." Dane answered, pulling a book from his sleeve and setting it on the table.

"This is a journal of an ancient mage I found in the Knowledge Depository. In it, he chronicles his travels to the study of all magic, alchemy, and history among other things. During one of his outings, he came upon what some may call the truest of all evils. It has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it." Dane opened the book to a page that was completely colored with black ink.

"This mage sought a way to balance this darkness and found that it must be tempered with what he called 'the ultimate light'." Maxus came over to the book and looked over the previous pages, trying to understand what it was that he saw in the scrawled notes.

"If this is indeed something that is so terrible, then why are you seriously perusing this? And what would it be doing in the Knowledge Despository?" Maxus asked. There was always a way for science to explain something, but this; as Dane said, it was something beyond mere science. Dane chuckled under his breath and closed the book, covering his eyes with his hand.

"I asked the same thing of the lead Librarian, but they could find no record of someone turning in the journal. When I inquired about even taking the journal, all that she requested was that it be copied and brought back as another addition to the Depository." Adelia read the contents of the journal, flipping through pages and reading excerpts randomly.

"How did you find it? If something like this was in the Depository then perhaps someone is trying to hide it."

"If that were the case then I believe such a journal would have been much better hidden. It fell from a shelf near where I was gathering tomes." Adelia kept flipping through pages, trying to understand what it was she read before closing it and handing it back to Dane.

"Just from the little I _did_ read, this 'Darkness' sounds as if it could be dangerous. Please, be careful."

I am taking caution and reading through the journal thoroughly as I proceed Adelia. I do not plan to fail where this mage did." Maxus became even more intrigued: perhaps these concepts could be applied to alchemy to make them more powerful.

"What is this darkness the mage speaks of?" Maxus asked. Dane lowered his brow, looking away and pondering the question deeply.

"I don't know, but it is something that I intend to discover. With the permission of the leaders, I would like to start my research here in Margata, specifically with Dr. Long's experiment of human transfer." Maxus looked to Adelia, sighing heavily; where his son's research would take him, only time would tell. But as the leaders of this great city had made it clear, questions left unanswered became possibilities undiscovered.

"I will talk to them. In the meantime, I would like you to come and tell the people of the city yourself of your refusal." Maxus urged. Dane chuckled under his breath, looking to Adelia as he stood and came out of his room.

"Where ever this road you are deciding to take goes, just know that you have a home here." Adelia said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I will keep that in mind Adelia." Dane smiled, walking through the front door, standing before the throng that had gathered to hear his reply.

"Good people of Margata, I must decline your vote..."


	3. ST - Chapter 2: Searching

Chapter 2: Searching

 _"Mother? What's wrong?" Rhinne groaned as she woke from her slumber when she saw the black cloaked figure standing before he mother. The grip on her wrist made her hand begin to turn white. Rhinne looked around for her personal friend and guard whom had eased her to sleep, but he was nowhere to be seen. The man standing before her made her blood run cold, realizing this was the same man that had slaughtered Will._

 _"LET HER GO!" Rhinne screamed, throwing the covers off and readying an attack spell, fear thick in her eyes. The sight of Will being run through so many times flashed through her mind, petrified the same would happen to her mother._

 _"RHINNE, STOP!" Ariel commanded. Instantly Rhinne froze in place looking down to see a dozen small chains at the man's feet, all pointed at her. Looking over his shoulder, his stare made Rhinne's face drain of color, unable to run, unable to breathe._

 _"Were you honestly going to break your promise to me?" Dane asked placidly as he turned back to Ariel. Rhinne looked to Ariel with questions burning in her eyes._

 _"You would use her for such a deed?" Ariel asked in return, making him smirk as he eased his grip on Ariel's wrist._

 _"You and I both know what our contract says. Weren't you the one that said this would be the best course of action?" he asked brushing her long, battle tangled red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Ariel tried to pull away but he mirrored her perfectly, his pressing, soul chilling presence making it hard to move._

 _"Mother? What does he mean? What deal did you make?" Rhinne asked, fear settling into her heart when the sounds of battle raging within the temple began to draw her attention. A strong explosion shook the floor, making Rhinne run to the balcony that over looked it. The sight horrified her, seeing Knights of black battling with the Knights of the Temple. Metal and blood stained the marble floor of the temple, the empty shells of the Knights and corpses of the Monks scattered everywhere._

* * *

"Increase the power output!" Dr. Long shouted over the roar of generators, the body he created straining its restraints while wriggling on the table.

"There isn't any more power to give!" called a scientist.

"If we don't give it more power the synapses will shred themselves under the low power stress. Give it more power!" Dr. Long demanded, tapping madly on a typewriter-like keyboard to tie into the city's power grid. Bright blue lights scrawling across the screen revealed the process happening as the computational machines worked.

"Generator one is overheating!" another scientist called.

"We'll draw from the city's power grid! Rerouting the power now!" Dr. Long called, typing in the commands. Just as he was about to enact the them, a Maxus slammed his hand down on the emergency shutdown cutting all power to the body. Spark showered the floor from the head of the body as the intricate wiring of the synthetic brain melted.

"Why did you do that?!" Dr. Long shouted, slamming his fist down on the desk and grabbing Maxus by the collar of his shirt, shaking him hard.

"Sir, the power circuitry in the lab wouldn't have been able to withstand that kind of amperage. Generators one through seven were overheating, the control circuits for the reaction were beginning to fail and to top it all off despite being performed with one of our strongest alchemic circles, the barrier created was beginning to bend." Maxus shouted back, motioning towards the various components mentioned.

"Can you imagine the kind of destruction that would ensue if the circle collapsed and released all that energy?" Maxus further pressed drawing his attention to parts of the circle that were deformed and discolored. Dr. Long looked to the barrier still in place as the energy within dissipated. Shoving Maxus aside he leaned heavily on the table and sighed. Looking up to the safety glass he leaned his head against it in defeat.

"It took me months to create the synapses for its brain." He said softly.

"I know and I'm sorry it had to come to this. But ending thousands of lives isn't worth it." Answered Maxus. Behind them, Dane sat writing notes and studying the reactions of all the individuals involved with Dr. Long's project. He couldn't help but notice that when Dr. Long leaned against the glass, there was a brief wave of Darkness that hung around him. This interested him as the study of this Darkness he had felt as a child was still sluggishly yet steadily growing stronger in the world. And now with the failed experiment, it felt as if it pulsed from Dr. Long stronger than what was in the world.

"What could this mean?" Dane thought to himself, walking out of the Great Circle's control arena and back to his own house. For the past five years he refined his understanding of this Darkness and finally began to solidify a consistent way of detecting the Darkness. Opening his room's door greeted him with the rustle of papers and the smell of drying ink. Pulling his own journal from his pocket he sat down at his desk and poured over the notes he had gathered over the previous half decade. The Darkness, he found, had always been there, even before he had felt it as a child. But this new development just might be the breakthrough he needed. He reached into a cabinet and pulled from it the first notebook he ever kept, reading through his notes.

As he compared notes, he began to see a pattern building. There had been times where this Darkness would rise in in strength and add to the darkness of the world. It always seemed to happen when a test of a component would fail.

 _June 5th, power core tested today, connection failed. Darkness felt stronger slightly around Dr. Long._

 _June 13th, actuators for limbs tested, Test failed, Darkness feels slightly stronger Around Dr. Long. Other scientist also have a pull of Darkness._

 _June 14th, 2nd actuator test, test failed, Darkness has increased, but only by minuscule amount around Dr. Long._

 _July 10th…_

All of his neat and careful notes pointed to the fact that there was a swell of Darkness when the scientists felt defeated. As more and more tests failed, he began to see other scientists previously unaffected began exuding the same swells in Darkness. When combined, the intensity the Darkness surrounding Margata had been steadily increasing as well.

However, the Darkness as a whole felt as if it had grown far more in the world than the amount he felt in Margata alone. Perhaps the answer lay beyond the walls of his city? His train of thought was broken when a soft knock came on the door.

"Yes? Come in." he called, closing his notes and turning to face the door as it opened.

"Hi Dane, I thought I'd find you in here." The golden-haired girl said, stepping through the door and closing it behind her.

"Menodora, always a pleasure to see you." Dane answered, standing in greeting of her.

"You cut your hair." Grinned Dane, noticing that her blond hair was shorter than in previous days stopping just above her shoulders.

"I just came from the barber's; do you like it." Dane nodded his approval, running his hand through her shorter locks. He had grown to like her longer hair but this new length was style well enough that he didn't mind.

"Made any progress? I saw you while I was at the market and thought I'd check in." She asked, her light blue eyes shining with questions. Dane dropped his gaze and turned back to his notes without saying anything. Menodora and he met during a meeting of all the highest leaders of Margata to discuss the progression of every project within the city and to present new ideas or theories.

Dane at first passed her off as just another woman drawn to him because of his long white hair and striking eyes, something that drew most women to him. But all too soon it would lead to the predictable questions of how they too could make their hair like his. In all honesty, even he hadn't the slightest idea how or why his hair was white and passed it off by saying he was born with it.

But Menodora persisted after formerly introducing herself and took a genuine interest in his work, questioning everything that he had researched up to that point. She too had noticed something wrong with the world and had heard of Dane's research. She sought him out in hopes that she could glean some small bit of insight from him. While their conversation more was on a surface level, her talk with Dane brought a better understanding of what she felt

"Well?" she asked, walking up behind him and placing her small hands on his arms, looking down at his notes while resting her chin on his shoulder.

"So far, I have only found that the Darkness is becoming more intense when a negative event happens." Dane answered, turning the page and looking over even more notes.

"Do you think it's only coming from Dr. Long? I mean I would be disappointed if I were working on something like this. It does mean a lot to him." She theorized. Dane shook his head and closed his book.

"No. I've felt smaller rises in Darkness of those around him as well though not to the same strength." He answered, becoming lost in his thoughts while rubbing his chin.

"Perhaps a small break will get you the answer. I've brought your favorite: Horned Mushroom Pie." Menodora smiled, curling her hand and making a pie tin appear in her palm. Dane smiled, turning away from his desk as Menodora waved her free hand, creating a small picnic table scene in his room.

"You've been practicing I see." Dane said with an impressed tone, sitting down and setting out plates and utensils. Menodora had been taking some magical and alchemical lessons from Dane when he saw her learning by herself from a few outdated books.

"This is the most elaborate that I've been able to do so far." Menodora replied shyly, sitting down when her concentration on the pie was lost and it fell from her grip. She tried to reach for it, but the pie slipped through her reach and into Dane's hand. She looked away as her cheeks flared bright red and put her hands in her lap.

"Nothing happened Menodora, it's still safe." He chuckled, reaching for her hand.

"That was the first spell that I ever learned. I was hoping that I would have a grip on that one by now. I really wanted to impress you" She said, looking away with a frustrated huff.

"You already have. Come, let's eat" Dane reassured, putting down the pie and beginning to cut it. Meno smiled as her cheeks began to cool. When at last the food was eaten, a spark of inspiration drove Dane to gather his notes and look them over again. There had been times when the waves of Darkness had been stronger. He did note in addition _this_ Darkness felt different somehow.

"Perhaps this isn't just one Darkness. What if there are multiple kinds as the result of differing negative events?" The thought intrigued him, sharing his hypothesis with Meno immediately.

"That would make sense. Maybe they were disappointed for a different reason?" she asked, her mouth still full of the bite she had taken. Dane nodded in agreement, pulling out a fresh notebook and scrawling the hypothesis on the first page, giving another to Meno.

"We should expand our parameters to the city. Perhaps then we can be one step closer in finding out what this Darkness really is." Meno took the notebook in surprise; was he inviting her into his research?

"With two of us gathering information and delving into the notes of the ancient mage, we should be able to find out more in a shorter amount of time." Dane exclaimed. Meno chuckled to herself; not many things made Dane excited, but when something did it was always strangely soul warming. After Dane taught Meno how to sense the Darkness around them properly, the weeks passed quickly as they observed the city around them. There were a multitude of 'shades' of Darkness as Dane had guessed. Each ranged from something small like disappointment to something major like a death of a loved one.

Those that suffered from the major events usually exuded much darker and more intense waves of Darkness which would continue to drape over them for weeks at a time. Both Dane and Meno noted that this Darkness would be lessened when another would come to comfort those people.

"Do you think this is the 'ultimate light' the mage spoke of in his writings?" Meno asked when she and Dane compared notes one night.

"No, these actions alone are not the ultimate light. They do however stem from the same place." Dane answered, walking to his library and bringing back with him two books: a text book labeled 'The power in Emotion' and a novel, 'Power from the Heart'. Meno looked over the novel, reading the back cover aloud.

"'Follow the travels of Harold Jones, a carpenter by trade, as he is unknowingly pulled into a war over the all-powerful Dumestone when someone pays for his service with it. A devise capable of great good or great evil, both sides of this war vie for his favor. One side sends a gorgeous temptress to seduce him into handing it over, while the other sends a timid delicacy to win him over. He must be careful as looks can be deceiving. Will he give the devise to either side? Or Keep it for himself?' Well, I didn't know you were such a romantic Dane." Meno said as she opened it to the first chapter to begin reading.

"It was a book that Adelia read to me when I was younger. I found it intriguing that a devise like that could harness the power of human emotion as a weapon." Meno dropped her shoulders and looked up; he had just spoiled half the book despite it being somewhat badly written.

"So, what exactly does that have to do with what we're after?" Meno asked, setting aside the novel and picking up the text book, Dane looking over both their notebooks for clues.

"If negative feelings and emotions are the source of this Darkness, and if consolation is the key to find this 'Ultimate Light' which lessens or reverses some of this Darkness…"

"…then there must be a way of amplifying that effect to rebalance the world!" Meno finished, walking behind Dane and looking over the notes.

"Exactly. The problem becomes how to do so. All the spells that I've come across in my studies only amply things that can be quantified: knowledge, strength, mana, magic, things of that nature." Dane answered, taking both books and beginning to read them side by side.

"What if this ultimate light the ancient mage speaks of is a devise just like in the novel?" Meno asked, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Dane then once again picking up the novel and trying to quickly read it before Dane spoiled it again for her. Dane stopped for a moment, squinting his eyes in pondering.

"That could be a solution, except that would mean Darkness also has a devise. And with that being the case, there should be a direction in which this darkness is strongest." Meno nodded her head and thought some more, trying to read along with Dane's blurring pace only to fall asleep a short time later.

"That's it!" Dane exclaimed three hours later. Meno jerked her head up from the desk in surprise.

"What, I'm up, I'm up." Meno slurred as Dane smiled and put a hand on her head.

"I've found our solution to dampening this Darkness." Dane answered with a quieter tone. Meno nodded and yawned wide, trying to speak as she did.

"Guh un, I'ng lithening."

"Darkness itself is something that is intangible yet is created when negative events happen. Perhaps then if a positive event were to happen, then the Darkness would be lessened." Dane explained, Meno blinking her eyes to become used to the lamplight.

"That's a good start, but we're talking about something on a global scale."

"This Darkness didn't just manifest from nowhere. We'll start with Margata and just as our observations with the Darkness, we'll observe when something positive happens. If possible, we will use that as a base to begin our repair of the world." Meno smiled as her eyes became heavy and yawned widely.

"That sounds like a good place to start but can we do it in the morning?" she asked. Dane looked out his window and noted that all the gas lamps had been lighted, fighting their war against their own darkness of night.

"Yes, perhaps that would be best." He smiled, making a few motions with his hands as a small mattress, a few blankets and pillows floated into his room to make a bed for Meno. Within a few moments, Meno was sleeping soundly. Dane however wanted to find more information about his theory and so went downstairs. He found his father sitting at the table with a cup of hot tea in his hand.

"Maxus, I didn't hear you come in." Dane said in surprise, calmly sitting down and setting his books down before holding his hand out. The teapot on the stove, a cup and a plate floated over to them, setting down beside Dane.

"Meno let me in a couple hours ago. I wanted to ask how things were going?" Maxus absently turned the cup in his hands as it sat on the table.

"Menodora and I have made a few hypotheses and discoveries. There hasn't been much else." Dane replied, pouring a cup of tea for himself.

"Have you made any progress on this 'Darkness'?"

"Not a substantial amount. The Darkness itself seems to stem from emotion, becoming stronger when a negative event occurs, as well as being in differing strengths or types depending on the event. Another thing of note is that people around the person suffering the event seem to also exude darkness as if it were an empathetic response." Dane answered, dropping a sugar cube into the tea and taking a sip.

"What about a way to counter it? I assume that this Darkness is the reason for the world's imbalance you mentioned five years ago?"

"Yes, in fact, to both of your questions. The counter to this Darkness seems to lie somewhere in Positive events as well as consolation to those who have suffered a major negative event. These positive events, or as Meno and I are calling them, 'light', do not completely erase the Darkness hanging around one person. They _do_ lessen its effects."

"Have you found if others around them may be effected by Darkness coming from one person?" Maxus asked, taking another sip of his tea.

"What do you mean Maxus?" Dane asked with a slight edge. His research had always been of the highest quality; how could someone question his oversight of something?

"I remember your saying something when you started this journey: 'it has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it'. That has always stuck with me and I wonder if this Darkness may also effect those around the person who has experienced some negative event and isn't just a empathetic response." Dane lowered his brow as he brought out his notebook. This was something that he hadn't considered.

"Are you saying that the Darkness from one person could be amplifying the darkness within others? Or worse still, infecting others with their Darkness?" Dane asked, looking through his notes for something on the matter that he was presented with, but finding nothing of the sort.

"I'm saying that it could be a possibility. Perhaps that is why it is only diminished when a 'light' even occurs." Dane put his hand over his mouth and thoughts swirled through his mind.

"Here is another theory I offer you." Maxus said, putting down his cup and jiggling his index in the air.

"As you have said, light diminishes darkness but doesn't get rid of it. What if this darkness, despite one person being affected by a positive event, is strong enough that one person's light isn't strong enough to eradicate it?" Dane tilted his head in interest, closing his journal as he looked to Maxus.

"How do you mean?"

"What if, in order to be rid of this darkness, those around them must also have the same 'light' happen to them? If darkness can amplify darkness, shouldn't the opposite also be true?" Dane's eyes flitted back and forth as he thought, going up to his room and bringing down the ancient mage's journal. He searched for quite a while to see if this mage had possibly attempted a thought of this simple suggestion. But as the pages turned, Dane found nothing of this light amplifying theory.

"This could be a possibility. It is so simple yet so profound. Thank you, Maxus." Dane said, his face almost glowing in delight that a new path of possibility had been laid out before him.

"You're welcome son. But might I suggest you get some rest? It appears that you will be busy very soon." Maxus smiled; Dane may be grown and living in his own house but he would always be his son. Dane kept reading for a bit when the words on his page blurred, his head and eye lids felt heavy while his whole body began to ache.

"I suppose even the greatest minds sometimes need rest." Dane grunted before leaning forward and falling asleep using the journal as a pillow. Maxus chuckled, reaching for a blanket Adelia had sent with him for Dane and draped it over his back and shoulders. As Maxus left he couldn't help but wonder where these dark places were that Dane said he would travel to. So far, the darkest that he had seen was the fact that Dane was exposing human emotions to be the cause of the world's imbalance.

"Just be safe Dane." Maxus whispered as he returned home. No doubt that this was only the beginning of something far greater than he could ever imagine.


	4. ST - Chapter 3: Light

Chapter 3: Light

 _"You promised that her power would never be used for personal gain." Ariel seethed, looking him in his eyes under his cloak that stood out like torches against his pale skin._

 _"I never made such a promise: if you recall, the contract which we both drew up states that his or her power would be used to better the world we live in when she came of age." Sloe said, flipping his hand down as a scroll unraveled to a paragraph revealing to Ariel exactly the phrase he so heinously remembered._

 _"Why… Why would you want to destroy it all? There is such beauty here." Ariel cried as the he reached up to cup her jaw, stopped by Ariel grabbing his wrist._

 _"This world has become too corrupt to save as it is. All must be wiped clean to start again." He said, tilting his head to the side almost as if he too were sad that it had to be done._

 _"But why her? Do you know what such an act will turn her into? Her heart will be lost to the Darkness if you do this." Ariel begged, looking away until he gently reached up to the hair on the side of her head gripping it so hard so quickly that it made her yelp as he turned her head to face him._

 _"It will create in her the power she was always meant to have: The End. Now let our daughter come with me to fulfill what she was always meant to be." Sloe hissed, obviously holding back a great deal as he spoke through clenched teeth._

 _"I will never hand her over to you!" Ariel swallowed, glaring at him from over her cheeks making him chuckle._

* * *

Dane and Meno came to dozens of people within town taking notes on the reactions of people they invited to a massive town-wide celebration. It was not in celebration of a completed project, no theory that had been proven, in fact, it wasn't even any citizen's birthday. It was just a celebration involving music, dancing, food and good company.

With each invitation given out, the Darkness appeared to become suspended from them for a moment separated from the person. It was a strange phenomenon that almost felt to Dane as if it were agitated. When the moment passed however, the Darkness felt as if it were trying to gain a better grip on the person whom was invited. Meno too noted the same feeling though not to the extent that Dane felt.

Those whom suffered a great loss, disappointment, or had even been depressed for some time were invited with a much gentler tone. The Darkness clinging to them felt as if it were eating away at their very soul. Dane and Meno many times would unknowingly accelerate their invitation just to get away from the spirit crushing presence hanging around those people. It was difficult at time since the people whom this Darkness gravitated to talked with such depressing tones, trying to infect them like a virus. Despite these people, the invitations were given out and on the day of it, scores of people came.

Everyone laughed, children played freely amidst the food and drinks readily available to everyone. Between their talking to people, grabbing up snacks and monitoring the atmosphere of the celebration, Dane and Meno would venture to the outskirts of the city. Stark changes in feel could be felt as they left the main square; the streets were dimmer and colder than they were at the celebration. The Darkness almost felt as if it were waiting for everyone to leave the celebration and infect them once again.

"It is a start, but this is still not enough." Dane sighed, writing down his thoughts as he would walk.

"I didn't expect that it would cure the world. I mean there are even those within the square that you can still feel a heavier presence around." Meno answered sharply. Dane nodded, looking back over his notes and confirming what Meno had said.

"I too noted this. Perhaps there is something else, something far deeper that we aren't seeing." Dane interjected. Meno chuckled and Dane felt a rise of Darkness near him.

"I know of something that you aren't seeing." Meno muttered under her breath. Dane looked over to her noting that the rise he felt was centered around her.

"What was it that you said Menodora?" Dane asked, tucking his pencil and notebook away. Throwing her arms forward with a frustrated huff, Meno almost shouted at Dane.

"Don't tell me you can't see it?!"

"I honestly do not have clue what you are talking about Menodora. What is it?" Meno threw up her arms and stamped her foot, turning back to Dane with a reddened face.

"You are so blind! You honestly can't see all of the women that you talked to back at the party were flirting with you soooo much! And you did nothing to sway them!" Dane sighed hard, thinking back over his interactions back at the party and noting that there were indeed quite a few women that would freely talk with him. But he gave no thought to them or how it would affect his relationship with Menodora.

"Why would this upset you? It should be well established that I have no intention of courting another woman." He answered. Meno clenched her fist tightly, eventually throwing her notebook at Dane.

"Why would it upset me?! You wouldn't make them go away! You just sit there and listen to their compliments and adoration with a smile on your face as if you were enjoying it! Isn't my adoration enough? Can't I be the only person you need?" Meno asked. Dane picked up the journal, walking over to her reaching out to put them around her. Meno backed away, her brimming eyes waiting for an answer.

"Menodora, you are the only person I have ever needed and the only person to ever at least try to understand how I think. I am not seeking attention from others. I have all I need in you." Dane replied, holding out his hand to her.

"I could finish this journey on my own, however I don't wish to." Dane noted that the dark feeling hanging around Meno dissipated, not entirely, but significantly.

"You never cease to amaze me Dane. How can you be so infuriating and so enticing at the same time?" She asked, sniffling slightly as her brimming eyes receded.

"That is my curse I suppose. My mind, my looks, a constant reminder that I am unique in so many ways. So much so that it has left me feeling isolated, that no one person could at least attempt to see the world as I do. And I have found that in you. There are times that you surprise me as well. Your compassion to so many, your deep thoughts in watching a sunset, your thirst for finding answers in places that no one would think to even peek." Meno sighed long, reaching out her hand and placing it in his, immediately feeling better than she had in the past few minutes. She knew deep down that Dane didn't entertain thoughts of other women, but it was still frustrating. It was well established the two of them were courting each other, yet still other women wouldn't hesitate to attempt to sway him. And he did nothing to stop it.

"I'm still mad at you." Meno huffed as Dane smirked and put his arms around her, this time pulling her in close.

"I am aware. In the future I will attempt to curb other's approaches. Though I can't say that I'll always remember." Meno breathed in a sigh: being with Dane was many things, but at least it would never be boring.

The day after the party, the entirety of the city seemed slightly brighter. The mood had lifted allowing those that had been stuck before to charge ahead without reservation. Meno and Dane wove through Margata talking with dozens of people. Those that had been depressed expressed how they were genuinely able to smile. Those who had lost loved ones expressed their thanks, and still others simply thanked them for the wonderful gatherer. Upon reaching the the Great Circle, Dane watched the scientists perform experiments on the body for Dr. Long. Despite some of them failing, no Darkness that appeared nor did any swell around those involved.

Dane and Meno compared notes in the evening ultimately concluding that whatever this 'Darkness' was, it was countered by 'Light'. Their study of this light led Meno to conclude that in order to understand what Light was, they would need to find to a city where such happiness existed. Cone all their needed supplies had been gathered, Dane and Meno left the city to find this place, planning to watch the sunset as it painted the deserts of Nihal as they left. But as they left the borders of the city, a weight dropped onto their chest forcing them to their knees. The world around them became darker nearly bringing them to tears.

"What was that?" Meno asked, struggling to compose herself and regain her footing.

"That must be the Darkness within the world. How could this Darkness still be so powerful this close to the city? And in such an exact location? It should at least have a gradual effect as we leave." Dane exclaimed, reaching into his sleeve to consult the Mage's Journal. Meno managed to regain herself and look over his shoulder as he flipped, putting her hand between the pages when she saw something that caught her eye.

"Wait go back." She asked. Dane returned a few pages reading over what Meno had found.

" _Why is it that as I enter a city, the Darkness seems to subside with such a sharp transition? There is no reason for this. Perhaps I shall find my answers as I travel._ Do you think he had the same experience we just did?" Meno asked. Dane read it over again, holding his chin in thought.

"Perhaps he did, but to a much lesser extent." Dane surmised, turning to later pages for something later that would explain it. Yet no clues came as he reached the end of the journal to explain this definitive line.

"What if the difference isn't so much a transition, but the fact that it is a difference?" Meno asked, taking out her notebook and reading over some of the statements that she had written down.

"How do you mean?" Dane asked. He had a theory of his own, but as he had seen so many times before, Meno could come up with answers that he hadn't considered.

"Take the difference in the light of a candle and shadow of a dark room for instance. The only reason there appears to be a transition between the two is because of Light's energy losing strength the farther away it gets from the source. But in all actuality, the difference is right at the source. What if the Darkness of the world works the same? It only appears that the world fades darker because we move further away from a source of joy?"

"But then why would the line be so definite? Could it be that the Darkness really is that powerful?" Dane countered.

"If joy, or in this case, Light, is indeed the counter to the world's Darkness, then there should be a visible and palpable _transition_ when moving away from a source, not a definitive line" Dane added. Both of them thought for a while until the thought struck Dane.

"What if the reason there is a transition, it is only extremely small. And the only reason that this level of Darkness exists outside of Margata is due to the close proximity of so many people who can and _do_ feel and express joy. The reason it won't spread to the world is because everyone in Margata has focused their joy inward to the city itself." Meno thought it over, looking over her notes and nodding as she added her thoughts.

"That could explain why we felt such a stark difference; we left the source of joy, the city of Margata. What we felt was our Light being extinguished once we crossed the threshold between Darkness and Light because we were no longer within the city's inward facing protection." Meno spoke faster and faster as she was finishing her thought, talking so fast at the end that her face began to brighten in a large smile. Her smile was infectious, and soon Dane could feel the corners of his own mouth turning up into a grin. Around them, they both noted that the air seemed brighter, less pressing than it had a few moments ago.

"What… what's happening?" Meno asked, looking around at the air around them.

"I believe that we are creating our own Light, a light that is turned outward to the world around us." Answered Dane. Immediately the two of them were furiously writing things in their journals. Meno had to sharpen her pencil twice as her excited penmanship blazed across the pages and snapped the lead. Deciding to stay within Margata they would watch the people closely, discovering shades of Darkness as well as pockets of Light appear and disappear.

The Darkness exuded by people was almost always directed outward; they were looking for someone to feel as they did, to know the pain they felt. By contrast, those that exuded Light often seemed to keep it directed inwards, unwilling to share it with those around them unless they too had a similar strength in Light. The inward facing trait of Light however also led to those people being affected by Darkness all the faster. Inward directed Light not only absorbed and fed off other's Light but would equally absorb and feed off another Darkness. If they lingered too long near a source of Darkness, then the light would eventually go out and create another source of outward facing Darkness.

There were however sources of _outward_ facing light; this "hue" of light was brighter and stronger than others. This 'hue' of Light was always created by someone genuinely wanting someone else to feel joy, one who cared for the hurt other felt. It was strong enough to burn away one's Darkness and re-ignite the light within them, but it often came at the price. The person exuding the outward Light would become drained after some time: it was as if they were giving their own Light away. Meno witnessed one of these people give so much of their light away that they became another source of Darkness.

"This outward Light must be the path to 'The Ultimate Light', it has to be." Dane said one evening as he and Meno both sat down for dinner.

"I'm sure it is. Now put aside your research for just a moment and eat. We won't be able to find this path if we can't even walk." Meno chuckled, spooning out a large helping of potato salad onto her plate before reaching for the basket of bread. Dane smirked, staring at Meno as he thought back over the day as they observed people. She had taken a few moments to dance with the children or stop to watch as they fiddled with Alchemic Experiments. Her smile was infectiously radiant: Dane soon realized that she was a source of outward facing light.

"What? Is something stuck to my face?" she asked, instantly reaching for her napkin and wiping the sides of her mouth.

"I was just thinking about the path we've taken up to this point. I don't ever remember seeing you this happy before Menodora." Dane smiled, chewing a large forkful of food.

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself. It's been almost three years since we've been studying this together? And you've been studying it for even longer if I remember." Meno said, taking another bite of her food.

"Eight years in all; it's hard to believe. I almost shudder to think how dark this world be without your existence Menodora." Meno lifted and eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

"What's this all about? Are getting all philosophical again?" she teased. Dane smiled and chuckled under his breath.

"No, not in the strictest sense." Dane replied, pausing for a long moment, simply staring at Meno across the table from him before reaching for her hand as realization came to him.

"So that's it. It's all so clear." Dane almost whispered.

"What is?" Meno asked, wiping her mouth and tightening her grip on his hand.

"I've figured out what the Ultimate Light is. We are the Ultimate Light. I don't know how or when it happened but you have sparked a new outward light within me. Together our light resonates and is made all the stronger. _We_ , together, can be the cure for the world's Darkness." He answered, getting up from the table, not letting go of Meno's hand and kneeling before her. Meno took a moment to take in the sight; his posture, his position. It made her stop and think it through harder before her eyes became wide.

"Will you be the Ultimate Light with me Menodora?" Dane asked reaching to his pocket and pulling from it a ring of moonstone and gold. Meno nodded, unable to speak as the ring was slipped onto her finger before slimming down to the perfect size.

"We may still have a long road ahead of us, but at least we won't be alone. Right?" Dane asked. Meno's smile became all the brighter as she hugged Dane as tightly as she could. It was ecstasy.

"Wait, if we're this Ultimate Light then how are we going to counter act Darkness? There's only so much that we can do." Meno asked, pulling back to arm's length.

"I have a plan to travel the world. We can be the beacon for others to look to. We can be there to help others. The world itself may be warped and dark, but just by sharing our light with the world and doing what we can to brighten every corner of the world, even just by the smallest amount, we can combat this Darkness once and for all."

"What about turning Margata's Light outward? It may not be a lot but it would still provide something."

"That is something that will be much harder. For now, let us attempt our hypothesis outside Margata where it may be better received." Meno grinned wide before hugging him once again. It was all the dream, it had to be! It felt like her heart would burst with all of this joy she felt. The next weeks were a blur as preparations for the grand wedding where to take place,

Bakers, tailors, mechanics, alchemists and florists all buzzed through the city turning the once dreary, greasy square into a palace courtyard. People from all over the city pitched in with what they knew. Most of the people offered their help as thanks for the joy the couple brought to the dreary city. Dane made note that as preparations for the wedding progressed, the inward light of the city felt as if it were slowly ebbing outward, spilling into the world and pushing back the Darkness of the world. That that had been shrouded in Darkness for some time began to glow with their own light.

When the day finally arrived, the very air itself seemed to shimmer as gold. Anticipation and bliss reverberated in the air as the couple were joined together in a service that became talked about for years to come. None was so grand as the marriage between Dane and Menodora.

Soon after, the two of them set off to share their Light with the rest of the world. Their first place to visit was a small village south of Arentia. At their first arriving, Meno could almost see the Darkness hanging around everyone in the village. They started by inviting all that they came across to a celebration of sorts in the middle of the town that night only to discover that the Darkness didn't suspend itself as it had in Margata as people were invited. When the time for the celebration did come, it was anything but; everyone was lethargic, dull and uninterested. Dane and Meno began asking different people about their lives, trying to ascertain why such a lively event would seem so dead.

"I suppose there really isn't much to celebrate." One farmer said.

"Don't misunderstand me, I am thankful for this distraction. But when tomorrow comes it will all be nothing more than a distant memory."

"What do you mean?" Dane asked, noting that the Darkness hanging around this particular individual seemed as if it was forced on him yet a part of his life.

"The new queen of Arentia has made our lives difficult. All of us have been taxed heavily with really no explanation. Because of that, it is getting harder and harder to just get by." Dane and Meno both looked to each other, feeling defeated and a little embarrassed that they would try and force upon these people a happiness that would only fade once they were gone. This Darkness was much more rooted than what existed in Margata

"Perhaps we would be able to speak to this queen on your behalf." Meno suggested, handing the man that had spoken a glass of punch.

"It won't work. Many people have gone to try and speak with her, even traveling Bishops have tried and failed." Dane smirked and set his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Then she has not met us. We will speak to her on your behalf." Dane noted that the area began to feel lighter, but hesitant and that he himself felt slightly drained. Perhaps this hesitant feeling was another hue of Light: hope for a new and better future tainted with past experiences of failure. When the small celebration was over, Dane and Meno both left for Arentia, determined that they would find a way to help these people. As they trekked, the story would be repeated. More and more people were down trodden and despondent, searching for some way to make their lives better. It was becoming clear that there would need to be a different approach to fixing the world of this Darkness. Not one of distraction and celebration, but reassurance and hope. And it would start by speaking with the queen.

* * *

"What are we doing wrong?" Dr. Long asked while looking over the data of their last test. It had been almost a decade since the beginning of this project. Yet they were no closer to solving the problem. Every time they would try to activate the body or body part, something would go wrong and they would have to start again, sometimes from scratch.

"Even after we have differed our approach from fully mechanical to bio-mechanical, it still won't fully amalgamate." Maxus added, looking over the data in more detail. There was just some force at work preventing that last little bit they needed.

"What if Alchemy alone was not enough? What if there was something else that needs to be done?" a man said. Long and Maxus looked up to see a young man with long black hair draped over one of his eyes sitting at their table.

"You're Russel, Madae's apprentice are you not?" Maxus asked. The man looked up slightly, his hair falling away from his face and revealing a small mechanical brace on the side of his eye.

"Yes, I am he." Dr. Long sat down and grabbed his chin in interest.

"What do you mean 'alchemy alone is not enough'?"

"You yourself said there appears a force preventing you from completing any of these experiments of yours, correct?" Dr. Long nodded, suspicious and interested simultaneously.

"Then perhaps it is time to look beyond science. There is a man living in a city by the name of Kritas, an expert in breaking down and eliminating barriers that prevent anything." Maxus and Dr. Long looked to each other before Long answered.

"What you suggest sounds like it dabbles in Magic. We are men of Science. How can fairy tales and misdirection help us?" Russel smirked darkly.

"I have been to Kritas. And I have seen firsthand the results these 'fairy tales and misdirection' as you call them. It is _real_. His art is called by a few things, but it is known prominently as Dark Alchemy. I believe that by combining the two of these arts, you can have what you seek." Maxus sighed, calling Dr. Long to the side to talk in private.

"I don't think we should pursue this. I've seen where 'dark' leads by watching my son's research. If we do this, it could lead up to doing things that fall far outside of morality. We could become depraved lunatics, not men of science." Dr. Long took a long breath and looked back over his shoulder to Russel as he looked over the data left on the desk.

"But it is the nature of our research to investigate and pursue any leads that move science forward. I am the lead of this project and I hear your concerns. Therefore Maxus, I appoint you as our Moral compass. If you believe that we are beginning to cross a line, I want you to bring us back to center." Maxus nodded, still not liking the fact that even the thought of using this 'Dark Alchemy' was existent. But being made the moral compass of the project eased his mind slightly.

"This expert in Dark Alchemy, what is his or her name?" Russel smiled, proud that he had brought something of interest to Margata.

"His name, is Arkarium."


	5. ST - Chapter 4: Darkness

Chapter 4: Darkness

 _"You said it so well before, my love. Dane is dead; all that remains is Magus Sloe. Now, let her know her father and her destiny." Sloe hissed, slowly easing his grip on Ariel's hair, following her as she walked to Rhinne who stood in a horrified trance on the balcony. Pulling her eyes from the battle below, Ariel brushed a few locks of her silvery hair back._

 _"Mother? Why are the Knights fighting?" She had never seen the terror of war, and certainly not when that war included the Knights of the Temple. She was not new to the sight of death as she remembered watching helplessly when Will was killed. But she never imagined how war could make death so much worse._

 _"They fight for you, my child." Ariel answered mournfully, trying to hold back her tears and keep a pleasant face._

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because you are important. He will keep you safe." Ariel answered, looking back to Sloe._

 _"You would give me to the man that killed Will?" Rhinne asked, recognizing his features as Dane her father despite the deep shadows cast by his cloak._

 _"How can you trust him? He's the one that killed Will! He;s the one that blew up his own Order!" Ariel sighed a ragged breath spying a sand glass on a table behind Rhinne. With understanding tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Rhinne and held her for a long while. Sloe stared down at them over his nose, holding out his hand waiting for Rhinne to take it. He was so close, so very close to his goal._

 _"You are bound for great things, far greater than I could even imagine. He may not be the one I expected, but he is the one the world needs, and for that, he needs you." She whispered._

 _"Mother I don't understand…"_

 _I know my child, I know. I'm going to miss you." Ariel cried, hugging Rhinne tightly. Sloe felt a rise in power surge through the air. Following its path, he watched the Sand Glass rise from the table and shoot over to Ariel's outstretched hand._

 _"Ariel! NO!" He ran forward to stop her. Ariel teleported away in a flash of light. Sloe stumbled a bit as he caught his footing after they had gone._

 _"You choose to run when you should stay. Your violation of our contract will not go unpunished!" he hissed, closing his eyes too feel where they had gone while whispers hung thick in the air around him._

* * *

"Introduce 1% blood solution." Instructed Dr. Long watching the monitor before him with excited anticipation.

"Increase power output to 32% and begin backing off pulse support."

"Power output increasing, Pulse support at 73% and falling."

"Dr. Long, Generator 5 is getting a little warm. The nerve connections are getting weak, Power output at 29.6% and falling."

"Alright, I expected this. Initiating Dark Alchemic circle." Placing his hand on a large blank stone and pressing the button, Long sat watching the Great Circle's bright pale glow turn a darker. With a set of circles, lines, symbols and letters began to glow with purple light.

"Power output rising to 33%. Pulse support at 61% and falling."

"Stabilize pulse support at 50%. Do not let the heart's power output exceed 49% and hold there for 14 seconds." Dr. Long commanded, sitting down at a monitor and watching the data stream in for the bio-mechanical heart that he, Madae and Carl had created.

"Pulse support stabilized at 50.32%, power output stabilizing at 48% and holding."

"Good, good. Just do what you can to hold it steady. Increase blood solution to 100% over 14 seconds on my mark." Keyboards tapped quickly making the adjustments as Dr. Long watched in anticipation for the very number he was looking for: 49%

"Power output has increased to 48.74% and steadily rising."

"Ready…"

"Power output at 49%"

"Mark!" the scientist next to him tapped the control board; instantly a bright red liquid began flowing through clear tubes to the mass of mechanical muscle, slowly turning it deep crimson.

"Sir, Generator 5 is getting close to overheating."

"Decrease its output 10% and compensate. We're almost there." Seconds passed in eternity. The cool gunmetal of the heart slowly turning crimson as the blood engorged. On the monitor, progress bars filled it as the biological and mechanical components bonded working in synchronous harmony.

"Cut all power from the Generators, cease Pulse support and begin circulation of Synthetic blood. Ramp up pressure to simulate 120 over 80 and hold." Behind them the whine of the generators descended as more tubes filled with a dark red liquid flowing through the heart. The Great Circle and the Dark Circle stopped glowing as the residual energy diffused as mist. A minute passed as the heart beat on its own for a few moments, pumping the synthetic blood through it as a real one. Then two minutes, five, ten.

"Gentlemen, we've done it! The biomechanical heart is complete!" Madae announced. Cheers and congratulations erupted through the room. Some of them even ran to the streets to exclaim their victory.

"Thank you Master Arkarium. Without your knowledge we would have never been able to complete this." Dr. Long exclaimed. The white-haired gentleman extended his hand and gripped Dr. Long's firmly.

"You are very welcome Doctor. I have been researching Dark Alchemy for many years now and while my research has made great stride, this is by far the greatest stride." His horse sized cobra familiar adjusted itself after resting coiled up at his feet, rearing up and spreading it hood wide while flicking its tongue in and out. Dr. Long backed away from the creature, unsure as to what was happening.

"Oh, you needn't worry about my familiar, he is under my control. But alas, as sweet as your victory is I must return to Kritias where my research will bring about a new age. You do have the notes that I left you for my Dark Transmutation circle correct?" Arkaium asked.

"Yes, and again, thank you so very much for your help Master Arkarium." Arkarium's smile left Long feeling slightly unnerved as he turned and walking away. No sooner had Arkarium left the building then Dane and Menodora entered, returning from their year-long journey around the world. Instantly both of them noted the lighter mood around the Great Circle

"What's going on here Maxus? There is lighter atmosphere here than has been in a long while." Dane asked when he arrived.

"Dane! It's good to see you again. Come and see, we've just completed the first organ!" Maxus excitedly exclaimed, escorting both of them to the observation window. Dane silently looked on as Menodora pressed her face to the window watching the pulsing heart in the center.

"You got it working?! It's amazing! I heard that you were having trouble making it work." Menodora squeaked. Dane remained silent, noticing unnatural burn marks on the ground near the heart.

"Madae's student led us to a gentleman by the name of Arkarium, a master of an art called Anti-magic or Dark Alchemy. It allowed us to by-pass the force that has been keeping us from making this organ." Maxus said excitedly. Dane looked on silently as Menodora fell quiet, looking back to Dane worriedly.

"What's the matter Dane?" Maxus asked. Dane called him over to a quiet corner of the room away from the happy celebration.

"I hope that you appreciate the enormous risk you have taken in using this Dark Alchemy. It is a dangerous and potent art that breaks down energy and magic completely."

"You mean is _destroys_ energy? That's impossible: energy can't be destroyed. What about the theory of conservation of…"

"Dark Alchemy as you said by-passes and destroys any barriers that get in the way of something being created, scientific or magical." Dane interrupted.

"Alchemy by its very nature is semi-magical, albeit heavily skewed as a scientific tool. Like anything else in this world, there are fundamental laws are followed for the world to properly. Dark Alchemy does not follow these laws: in fact, it outright removes them from existence."

"Do you think that we shouldn't use it then?" Maxus pressed. While the use helped to advance research, there was still a nagging feeling the back of his mind that what they were doing was dangerous.

"Used in small amounts, Dark Alchemy can be a powerful tool. But in the amounts and intensity that you are using for this experiment is bordering on the perilous. It could rupture the barrier created by the Great Circle with ease causing the energy of both circles to mix. The result of which could potentially destroy all of Margata." Maxus' eyes widened as he began to understand the magnitude of the danger they had created for themselves in just performing this one experiment.

"Are there any precautions that we can take to prevent such a thing from happening?" Dane held his chin for a moment as he thought.

"Fortify the Great Circle with a Pentagonic circle between the Great Circle and the Dark Circle: a balancing circle if you will. It will provide a barrier between the two in case of failure and ensure that one does not become more powerful than the other." Dane instructed, drawing out the particular pattern for them to use. After Dane's warning and help, the scientists forged ahead, creating other organs and body parts over the next two and half years. Dane and Menodora watched on with careful interest to make sure that nothing would go wrong with the circles as they were used.

Periodically, the two of them would leave to help the already strained traveling bishops of the world by healing the sick with healing spells or medicines. Occasionally they would also battle off strange misshapen creatures made of nothing but shadows. Even when they would lend their assistance to the traveling Bishops, the Darkness felt as if it only became worse.

"Have you found anything that would tell you what the Darkness is?" Adelia asked once Dane and Menodora had come home from one of their journeys.

"Not entirely. Our best guesses only give us a better understanding." Menodora answered, sipping on a cup of tea.

"And what would those guesses be?" Maxus pressed, setting down his cup and leaning over the table where they sat. Dane breathed slow and purposefully, locking eyes with his parents.

"Maxus, I am only going to share this with you and Adelia because you are my parents. I do not wish for you to pursue this. Am I clear?" Dane asked, looking to both of them for confirmation that they did indeed understand.

"Darkness itself somehow connected to one's emotional state; a collection of pain, sorrow, disappointment, and hate all gathered together in such a concentrated state that it becomes tangible and palpable. It is as if there are wounds left in a person's soul." Dane explained as Menodora continued.

"The 'light' we discovered helps with those things left behind in one's spirit. It's slow, but we're moving forward with our research to get rid of it." Maxus and Adelia remained silent for a long while, thinking over what they had been told when Maxus turned with a ponderous look.

"Tell me something Dane. You said that this research would take you to some very dark places. So far it seems that you haven't even touched on them." Dane sighed heavily lacing his fingers together and resting his chin upon them.

"The dark places that I spoke of do exist Maxus, but rather than searching for those specifically we have decided to share and spread the 'Ultimate Light'." Dane reached over to Menodora and gripped her hand.

"We've found that one's 'light' can be directed inward or outward. Inward directed light, while helpful in keeping one's spirit up, also tends to pull in the Darkness surrounding it very easily. Outward Light is what needs to be present in order to drive back one's Darkness and expose the wounds for healing and care."

"If hurt people are the ones creating this Darkness, then giving them counselling should help with it right?" Adelia inquired, leaning forward as well in interest as Menodora shook her head and answered.

"If only that were it. Sure, helping the People heal would be a big help. But the world is the biggest source of it. So far, it's only gotten worse since we started helping where we can and we don't know why."

"What about this Ultimate Light you were talking about some time ago. Wouldn't that be able to help?"

"It would: Ultimate Light is the outward directed light I spoke of earlier. But it is diminished rather quickly as it is something that can only be given away to actually help. For something as large as the world, all the peoples _of_ the world would need to have all their hurts healed. Menodora and I have found that all couples produce this light to varying degrees of strength, but even that isn't enough." Silence fell over the small group for a while: Maxus and Adelia tried to wrap their head around what had been said until Dane spoke once more.

"That reminds me, Maxus. How's the progress of your project going? I heard you recently put the body together?" Menodora asked, instantly lifting Maxus' face into a smile.

"Yes, in fact. We are expecting partial mind transfer tests within the next week once the body has been fused. I would very much like for the both of you to come." Maxus offered. Dane and Menodora both nodded, eager to see the progress and history about to be made.

* * *

Carl casually made his way to the Acaldos wing of the city with Maxus and Adelia, knocking on the door of the greasy mechanic's shop. Madae opened the door wiping his grease covered hand on his smock.

"Yes? Oh, council members, what can I do for you?" he asked, lumbering out of his door and closing it behind him. Maxus noted that Madae's apprentice Russel was hard at work at a table further inside the building before the door closed.

"We came to you for an opinion. We believe that if Dr. Long's project is successful that he should be granted the title of Master Alchemist of Margata." Adelia explained. Tilting his head slightly, Madae rubbed his chin as the last bit of grease on his hand smeared like a dark beard.

"That does sound fair. But what of our current Master Alchemist Han? Hasn't he proven to be quite the leader?" Adelia nodded before adding her thoughts.

"Han has indeed been a competent leader for nearly a decade now. But even as with alchemy, if new ideas and advancements are not made, the art becomes stagnant. So too does being Master Alchemist; we all believe it is time to let a new Master Alchemist be appointed to bring a new perspective to the city." Madae listened with intent, rubbing his chin darkening his grease beard.

"Your argument is valid. Give me a day to consider this and I will give you my answer." Madae answered, beginning to turn back for his shop.

"I'm sorry Madae," Maxus interjected. "But we really must have your answer tonight. Dr. Long has decided that his first mind melding test will begin tomorrow night." Madae paused and sighed hard.

"I will then. Let me have an hour and I will come and find one of you for my choice." The three on his door step nodded in acceptance and left to their various duties. Madae turned back to his door to find Russel sprawling across the floor when he opened it.

"What were you doing so close to the door Russel?" Madae asked with an edge in his voice.

"I couldn't help wanting to hear what the counsel was saying. Are you truly going to appoint Dr. Long to the position of Master Alchemist?" Russel challenged, his eyebrow rising in a devious way.

"I am currently considering the counsel's recommendation. Of course, his appointment hinges on the success of his experiment." Madae grunted, lumbering back to his desk and pulling over a machine he had been working on, drawing a matrix around it on paper.

"Why should he be the only one to be considered?" Russel asked with a hint of distain in his tone. Madae turned back to him with a lowered brow.

"Is there someone else you can think of? If so, please tell me so that I can make a recommendation to the counsel." Madae pressed. Russel turned, throwing his cape aside grandly.

"Why not me? Have I not made immense strides forward in our bio-mechanical alchemy? And what of my exceptional scores within the alchemic academy? You yourself said that I had a vast intelligence that rivaled even the most learned minds." Madae sighed hard and stood, his face becoming blank.

"What I said of your intelligence, while being true, also stated that it still needed the temperance of wisdom and time. I do not dispute your vast mind, but you are far too hasty and your heedless regard for your fellow man is one of many reasons that you have not been granted the title of Alchemist. You have the potential to be a great Master Alchemist one day which is why I had you learn from Carl. But you are not ready for such responsibility."

"So, you admit to holding me back while others apprenticed to you spend half the time I have and are granted the title of Alchemist?! What of my advancements? Those alone should grant me the ability, no, the _right_ to be Master Alchemist! Isn't it _MY_ research of Life Force transference Dr. Long is using?" Madae's face turned down in a powerful frown, his plump cheeks sagging nearly to his throat.

"Yes, your theory is solid and has been proven yet you have only discovered that it could be done. While your research was a base, it had to be further researched for another two years. Our work dances within the grey of ethics at times, but I will not allow you or any of my students to lower themselves as much. There is weight to life, all life." Madae thundered, his form appearing to grow in size as he stood over Russel, pummeling him with his words.

"You have not earned the privilege to be nominated for Master Alchemist, let alone an Alchemist!" Madae barked, turning to leave with heavy steps while Russel clenched his jaw.

"What do you think we are?! We are gods walking among men! Science and Alchemy is our power! We can create that which is reserved for the Divine!" Russel shouted when Madae turned back to him with a hard stomp.

"We are not gods! It is because we have the understanding of Science and Alchemy that we must be weary how we use it!"

"I WOULD TAKE MARGATA TO NEW AND GREATER HEIGHTS! OUR POWER WOULD BE LIMITLESS! WE WOULD BE HAILED AS HEROES AND GODS!" Madae marched to Russel, striking him hard enough to throw him to the ground.

"We must have limits! If not, we are no better than animals! It is obvious to me that you haven't learned well enough our place. From this point you are to start from the beginning in your lessons of Alchemy."

"I refuse to be brought low. You want proof of successful research, then here! Have a look!" Russel growled, running to a door leading to the back of the machine shop and threw it open. Inside were scores of machines, all in differing stages of completion resembling small bodies. As he opening the door, the smell of decay wafted in making Madae heave.

"What in the name of the Great Mother is all this?" he asked. As his voice echoed through the chamber, the machines all stopped and looked to him, beginning to rush the door with the sounds of mechanical screams and hisses. Russel slammed the door shut, bolting it as the small machines slammed against the door.

"I've proven it can be done! Life can be transferred from a body into a machine! It _is_ possible, which is why I brought it to Long in the first place. You see, without me, your Dr. Long would be nothing!"

"What did you use for your experiments?" Madae growled, his usually beady eyes wide in horror that he had been so blind all the time.

"What does it matter?! I can manipulate the human Life Force at will! Not even Haim would be able to stop me!" Madae's face cycled through shades of red, tightening his iron grip with every word spoken until he could no longer stand to see Russel in his presence.

"Gather your things and get out. You are no student of mine! I do not want to see you in this building when I return or ever again! You are barred from all future alchemy learning and from the knowledge depository!" Madae seethed, turning and leaving through the front door and slamming it shut. Russel's mind churned; why should Dr. Long be appointed to the position of Master Alchemist? Long had done many experiments that were heralded as a triumph where his experiments were scorned as an ethical abomination. Where was the line? Where was the difference?

"Hypocrites, all of them." Pulling himself from the floor Russel gathered up his belongings and sluggishly left the building. But it wasn't out of resistance to leave; no, it was out of putrid madness. If Dr. Long would be appointed for his success, then he would only need to fail! And that would leave the door open for him so sweep in as the hero to condemn such ill-fated experiments. Yes! It was perfect.

* * *

Dane and Menodora both watched with anticipation as Dr. Long was strapped into the chair behind his Bio Mechanical body dubbed Humanoid Type-A. The partial mind transfer test was a resounding success. After which preparations for the complete mind and life force transfer had been started. But in the time leading up to the grand event, parts, equations and equipment would be found in a state of minor disrepair that delayed it by weeks. Only after increasing security around the Great Circle where the transfer was to take place did the sabotage stop.

"Now you're sure that you've written the Alchemy Matrix out correctly? There are no mistakes?" Dr. Long asked, wincing as a blood I.V. was put into his arm.

"Yes, doctor. Everything has been checked." Replied a scientist.

"What about the Dark Alchemy circle? There are no smudges? And what of the Balancing Matrix? There must be no mistakes…"

"Darling please. You and those working with you have checked and re-checked everything. You will succeed. Have faith in those around you." Felicia, Long's wife, urged with a smile in her voice. Keni, his daughter, also walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

"You can do it daddy. I know you can." She smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Mathias Long, I love you always." Felicia said, kissing his lips one last time before walking outside the circle and into the observation lounge where Dane and Menodora waited. When the last of the heart monitors had be placed and the last vile of a liquid had been injected into Dr. Long, the scientist patted his arm and nodded. Dr. Long sighed nervously and nodded in return as a large metallic helmet lowered over his head.

"Activate Great Circle!" Long called. Light hummed to life around him with a blinding blue-white color. A dome shape shimmered to life as machines in the background spun up.

"Increase output of generators 1-4 by 10% over a period of 12 seconds." The lead commended.

"Power increases complete. All vitals normal."

"Begin mind connection, 1.86% per second over 40 seconds. Increase power of all generators to full over the same amount of time on my mark. Ready activation of Dark Circle. Mark"

"Mind connection at 20.46% and climbing. Generators at 79% full power and climbing. All vitals normal."

"Prepare defibrillator shock for Humanoid A, 55 joule pulse on my mark; activate dark circle." The light surrounding Dr. Long became darker as purple light surrounded him.

"Mind connection at 39.06% and climbing. Generators at 100% and holding. Capacitors at full, ready for pulse."

"Ready Pulse."

"Mind connection at 50.22%"

"Mark!" A pulse of electricity shot through the biomechanical body, making it jump from the table. At the same time, Dr. Long also tensed his body.

"Humanoid-A body showing steady pulse, all vitals normal. Dr. Long showing signs of elevated adrenalin, but within tolerances."

"Increase Mind Connection to 5.58% over 20 seconds, mark! Hold generator power. Dump capacitors 1-3 on my mark and ready capacitors 4-6. Mark! Recharge 1-3, dump 4-6 on my mark. Mark! Recharge!" The pattern would repeat many times over as Dr. Long could be heard grunting within the circle, both bodies wriggling on their respective tables.

Dane and Menodora noted the light but tense air around them all, thick with anticipation for its success. As the power within the Great Circle was reaching its zenith, Dane felt a sudden mass of Darkness permeating the air. Menodora too noticed the change, looking around the lounge for anyone that could be producing such a massive amount of intense Darkness. But there was no one within the lounge they could see. Maxus took note of their panic and went to them.

"What's wrong?" Dane leaned close to his ear.

"There is someone here in this area giving off a massive amount of Darkness, but I can't see where they would be. There is so much of it that I can't tell where it is coming from." Maxus nodded as he, Adelia, Menodora and Dane all went searching the area for anyone suspicious.

"Take care if you find the person. They are most likely taken by madness." Dane warned before they split up. As he searched, Dane wondered why he hadn't felt this mass of Darkness before. Something like this should have at least had an effect on the town as a whole. His only theory was that it had something to do with the reaction taking places within the Great Circle. Menodora was the one to find someone kneeling down just outside the flickers of light shimmering from the Great Circle.

"Hello? Is there something I can help you with?" Menodora called. The man turned to her, his eyes wide with what appeared to be rage and his face stained with tears that had long since run dry.

"What are you doing here?" Menodora asked gently, slowly approaching him.

"It will be mine! It was stolen from me and I will make it mine!" he grunted, reaching into his pocket and producing a small notebook. From it he began copying a matrix onto the ground.

"What do you mean? What was taken from you?" Menodora asked, quietly stepping closer when she saw Dane approaching from the other side. Menodora slowly waved her hands palms down as she approached.

"All of it, heh… heh… it will be mine again. I am the only choice. I should be the one, but no. Apparently, he has it all, and I don't. That will soon change once they see him for the monster he really is!" he muttered, still copying down the matrix. When Menodora was close enough, she knelt next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing that the Matrix was poorly copied and would probably cause more harm then what ever he intended.

"Come, I can take you somewhere and I'll listen. Let me hear what has scarred you so." The man stopped moving, setting down the chalk he was using. Dane noticed that his hand opposite Menodora was reaching under his coat behind him. Whispering a spell, Dane readied to cast it at the man and began to step closer. The man dropped his head slightly then smiled widely back at Menodora.

"I guess I should. But I've come too far to stop now." He growled, pulling out his hand from behind him. The flash of steel glinted in the dark as the man drew a dagger. Dane cast his spell, energy hurling towards Menodora to cover her in a protective light. But the spell missed when the man pulled her down and thrust the dagger into her gut.

"NO!" Dane screeched. The man looked back, drawing a pistol from his belt and firing. The iron ball ricocheted from a barrier Dane cast before himself, teleporting to Menodora as she fell to the ground. The man swung his dagger once again, catching Dane in the arm when he tried to defend himself backing away with Menodora bleeding in his arms. The man clenched his jaw and he turned back to the matrix slamming his hand down.

"IT WILL ALL BE MINE!" he screamed. Energy was drawn to the matrix as a crag appeared in the rock, snaking its way to the Great Circle. Dane was about to attack when the crack reached the Great Circle. The rocks shifted, opening a hole for a mass of energy to rush out, smashing into the man's face in a jet. Within seconds, Dane watched as the rocks the Circle was drawn on shifted. More of the contained energy escaped with increasing velocity.

The heat made the rocks crack further, reaching into the balancing matrix, destroying it. Once the balance matrix was gone, the Dark Circle began to overpower the Great Circle. Dane reached his hand forward, speaking as quickly as he could to cast a powerful protection spell. The heat of the escaping energy was washing against his palm buring away his skin, but he had to remain else it destroyed he and Menodora.

The Dark Circle's size grew until it rubbed against Great Circle. The contact disintegrated the Great Circle's containment dome releasing all the energy within it. For miles around, everyone could feel the ground quake as a cloud of dust plumed high into the air. Many more beyond that could hear the low blast of sound rippling through the air and over the many dunes of sand.

* * *

Ariel, The Goddess of Time, felt the mass of energy on the ground from her palace temple. She rushed to the railing and looked down. Never had she felt such power coming from the world of Usoria below her in eons, not since the Great Beginning. What had happened? Had these humans created something so terrible that even she would fear it?

Extending her vision, she focused on the point from which it came. Her consciousness flew down past the Dancing Light Ribbons around her temple, past the stars, past the clouds, past the trees, and down to a dimly lit cove. Smoke and dust was everywhere. People were scattered about: some of them were dead, mauled by flames beyond recognition. Some were missing limbs or parts of their bodies. Others were trapped under mountains of rubble in explosions of blood. She was horrified at the sight.

So much death and despair in such a small area was almost more than she could stand. Those that desperately tried to lift the rubble away she touched, giving them extra strength. As she wandered the area she touched others, helping their wounds to heal as they were cared for or giving them strength to help others.

In the farthest part of the cove, she could hear someone crying in silence. As she moved closer, she could see a man with long white hair upon his crown holding a burnt hand forward. Around him were the charred marks of fires that had billowed towards him, deflected by a protection spell he had conjured. He clutched a woman she guessed to be his love to his chest. She was about to move closer to touch him when the woman stirred.

"Dane, you're alright. Thank goodness." The woman whispered.

"Menodora, please, don't speak. The knife is still in you. I'll get a doctor here right now to…"

"No don't, please stay." She insisted. The man held his hand out and waved it over her as a healing spell simmered to life. Just as he was to touch her with it, the spell fizzled out. The man tried again, this time pouring more power into the spell, but again the spell fizzled out.

"What's wrong?" The woman aske weakly.

"My healing spell won't work! It keeps failing!" the man put up a barrier and tried to heal her again, pulling out the knife while applying the spell to close her wound. It did work for a short time, but the barrier was quickly dissolved by the energy that surrounded them, instantly making the healing spell collapse.

Realization came across his face as he found what Ariel already knew. She was going to die, and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. Something was surrounding them causing Dane's magic to fail instantly. Ariel looked around to the others that she had touched earlier, noting the power that she had freely given was completely gone. If her power was removed so easily, she wouldn't be able to stop this woman's death.

"I'm going to try and move you away from the city. I think there is a mass of Anti-magic that is…"

"There'd be no point." Menodora muttered weakly.

"Don't say that! I have to get you away from…"

"Dane, don't." Dane looked around franticly, putting a hand to her wound and pressing just hard enough to keep the bleeding to a minimum.

"Help! Anyone! Are there any medical alchemists nearby!" Dane called as a voice answered him.

"It's no use! All alchemy has been rendered useless because of the mass of Anti-magic still here!"

"No…" Dane whispered. He had a basic understanding of human anatomy, but not enough to perform actual surgery without the aid of Alchemy or Magic for that matter. Had he really come to rely on this powerful art so much that he was now powerless to do anything when he needed it most? Menodora's breath began to become labored as he pressed on the wound making her wince, realizing that he had been steadily applying more pressure without noticing.

"Do you remember the day we first met?" Menodora asked quietly, reaching for his hand which he took in earnest.

"Yes. You were wearing that blue checkered dress."

"And remember how disinterested you were? I thought for sure that I could break through that icy exterior you put up if I just kept at it. And wouldn't you know it, I did." Menodora coughed, blood spilling onto her cheeks.

"Stop talking. You'll be fine! Just stay awake..." Menodora gripped Dane's hand with what little strength she had left.

"We both know that's a lie Dane."

"No, it's not! Just stay with me. I'll find a doctor to get you all healed." Menodora gripped his hand as her eyes welling with tears.

"Please, just stay here. I'm scared." Dane gripped her hand as hard as he dared, setting her down on the rocks and leaning over her to hear every last one of her breaths. Ariel felt tears sting her eyes, reaching out her hand and slowing time around them to almost a stand still. She wanted their last few moments to last as long as possible, though the anti-magic as it was called made it difficult to do so. Even with her help, the end came all too soon, her breath came in lighter and shallower wheezes. Ariel thought of helping Menodora since she obviously meant a great deal to Dane. But she would have to use a substantial amount of power to overcome the Anti-magic in the air, and Menodora's life force, weak as it was might not withstand her power.

"Dane? Dane, are you there? Dane? I can't see you!" Menodora asked in quiet desperation, waving her hand after Dane had let it go to balance himself.

"I here Menodora. Right here, I'm not going anywhere." He whispered, softly kissing her lips and taking her hand once again. Menodora grinned, turning her head to where she guessed Dane was sitting.

"Don't let the light we created… die… with me. Promise me…"

"Menodora, I…"

"Promise me... Please." Dane stared for a long while into her pleading, empty eyes once so full of bright life. Before he could give an answer, she gasped for her last few breaths before falling still.

"Menodora? Menodora? No, no not yet. Please Menodora, say something!" He begged. Flashes of her smiling face whipped through his mind as a mocking reminder. His light, was gone. His light was gone and it was all that man's fault! Turning to another man lying beside them, Dane stumbled over to him and hauling him from the ground. Half the man's had been burned away face burned away, bleeding profusely. Wrath surging through his entire being, Dane shook him violently.

"WHY! WHY DID YOU TAKE MENODORA AWAY FROM ME! WHY! WHY! WHY! WHY ARE YOU ALIVE AND SHE IS GONE! TELL ME!" But the man only wheezed, unable to say anything as he was continuously shaken. Dane threw the man to the ground, holding his hand back were a swirl of flames came roaring to life. Ariel went to him, setting a hand on his shoulder and telling him to stop.

Moments crawled by as he dissipated the flame, dropping his hands and looking down to them seeing Menodora's blood covering them. He began to shake, sob and laugh all at the same time as great heaves of sorrow wracked his body. Ariel put her arms around him as he curled to the ground and sobbed. Ariel only wanted to comfort this man any way that she could in his time of immense pain.


	6. ST - Chapter 5: Pain

Chapter 5: Pain

Unending haze made the weeks drag by. The blast had taken everything away from him: Menodora, Maxus and Adelia were all suddenly gone leaving a consuming emptiness behind. John and Sari, Menodora's parents, did what they could for Dane. All of them comforting each other when the pain of their losses became too much.

Arkarium's expertise was requested to contain and then dissipate the mass amount of Anti-magic that blanketed the city. Once the task was complete, the alchemists of the city were able to begin rebuilding and healing those that were alive and severely injured.

Regrettably chaos descended onto all of Margata in the form of passive war between the Acaldos and the Zumistes, each faction fiercely blaming the other for the catastrophe of the Great Circle. The Zumistes blamed the Acaldos for the careless creation of their machines that, to their eyes, ultimately rejected the organic components. Madae and The Acaldos in turn blamed the Zumistes for not creating their biological components with the durability to withstand the stronger, inorganic mechanical components.

"It was pure folly to think that machines could live as humans do! Your mechanical creations vaporized the flesh of the body creating too much energy for the Great Circle to handle!" Carl would shout when he caught sight of Madae.

"You would think those who specialize in creating organic material for this very purpose would know how to do such a thing!" Madae shot back making Carl grind his teeth in rage.

"Our research was perfect! If you had properly trained your apprentice, the Great Circle wouldn't have been compromised! You no doubt told him to sabotage the experiment so that you could have exclusive access to Dr. Long and his favor!"

"I banished him from the Acaldos weeks before this happened. Russel was acting on his own! If you hadn't agreed to show him what you had of your beliefs, I wouldn't have had to dismiss him when his experiments became too immoral!"

"Immoral?!" The would continue to escalate into violence as until the factions split the city entirely. Russel was ultimately imprisoned for his actions after having his eye and part of his face grafted with a mechanical replacement.

No trace of Dr. Long was ever found. But his Humanoid-A body did survive which seemed to contain some of Dr. Long. He still had his brilliant mind for Alchemy and science, but it was nowhere near what Dr. Long was nor did he have any memory of Felicia or Keni. He did seem to have a strong care for the both of them however, staying with them as a helper and tutor. Falicia believed that if there was some part of Mathias that still existed in the world that one day it would come back to her.

While glad that Dr. Long's experiment had succeeded at least in part, the gnawing emptiness still ate at him. His research of Darkness became a chore. He would read through his and Menodora's notes, feeling a presence surround him in warmth and comfort. A few times he thought it might be some fragment of Menodora. Or perhaps it might have been his mind wandering to a memory of her during a time of idle thought while reading.

The feeling would come and go, each time more and more like another person and not just a memory. Maybe there was some small piece of Menodora left, just waiting for him to bring her back. He began to search in earnest for a way to isolate that presence; it was a glimmer, the spark of hope he needed to spur him on. But as the months drug on, his search brought him to one absolute conclusion: there was no bringing the dead back.

That presence persisted however, almost urging him on to finish what he had started. His loss of Menodora brought him new insights to Darkness. It stemmed from scars left behind in people's hearts, wounds inflicted by the trails life brought and became any number of things.

If these wounds were left unattended, they would fester into poisonous wells of pain overflowing out of control. These wounds often manifest themselves as violence, depression, greed, and depravities of the worst sort in human kind in an attempt to find a cure. But none would come. Any chance of healing these wounds was remote at the absolute best, non-existent at its worst.

Some, while initially attended to, were not cared for enough and thus never healed fully. These wounds lingered long into a person's life, tainting their life as a whole. And when an attempt was made to revive the part of their life the wound was initially created, the wound often worsened and brought back the pain from before in full force. These wounds often manifest as people who seemed to be distant, longing for company but turning it away at the first sign of genuine care.

Other wounds, while deep, would be hidden away by the one that had been wounded in an attempt to seem healed and not burden those close to them. These wounds would never heal and never be cared for, left in a perpetual state of trauma. The wound would be hidden away and forgotten about until some conversation forced the wounded one to visit it, only to tuck it away again. These wounds often manifest as constant happy, upbeat attitudes followed by intense periods of quiet. Though these were hard to find as they were very similar to those who were genuinely upbeat and friendly.

In the uniquely rare occasion that the wound would be well cared for and fully healed, sometimes the person would still remember the pain for the rest of their lives. These wounds would often be reopened by the person, often these wounds would devolve into hate and destruction. Dane knew this deep pain all too well. It felt as if the life had been torn from him when Menodora was taken from him. It just wasn't fair that her bright life was taken from a world that could use it. Had it not been for that presence's constant warmth, he felt that his heart would have easily succumb to the hate and rage that boiled within him. This presence felt as if it was made of the healing outward light the world needed.

Turning his attention to the 'Light' he and Menodora had discovered, he tried desperately to find a way to harness it once again and combat the Darkness. But it seemed there was no conclusive way to simply think of Light and erase or push back the Darkness. It was far more stubborn then that. And no one person seemed able to generate enough outward directed light which became stronger when sharing it with another person, friend or otherwise.

A year passed and then, it came.

A potent famine spread through all of Usoria and it spread quickly. Those within area of Margata tried to do as much as they could to slow it down but it still spread wildly. Even the lush and plentiful gardens of Nu Long in the south west were decimated by the famine. Word filtered down from Orion that the Emperor sent out aid as far and as fast as he could.

Dane shifted his focus from his work on Darkness to the cause of the sudden onset of this famine. Entire crops would simply wither overnight, fruits grown in the East Dragon Forest would rot off their branches. Nothing was safe. He threw himself into the study of magic, the only counter that seemed to stay the famine. Magic may not have been the ultimate answer, but it was a step towards finding one.

That presence still followed him wherever he went as he left his life in Margata behind to help stem the tides of the famine. To some degree he came to understand that it wasn't Menodora, but he couldn't help but imagine that it was some part of her. That sentiment was enough to give him the energy needed to keep moving, helping those he met in the world. As he would travel, poorly made beasts made of shadow began to appear, the same he and Menodora had faced years before. People and fellow clerics began dubbing him 'The White Mage' for his selfless acts and his snow-white hair.

But it just wasn't the same. He could spend all of the rest of his life helping those in need: curing illness, bringing food, hope, money and comfort to those that need. Without Menodora, It drained him. Dane could feel with each passing day the light he had built with her fading from his life. His heart would ache every time his visited a village where both of them had been before and would ask where she was. But he pushed on, stretching out what little light of Menodora was left as much as he could. She would want to help those in need, and Dane wanted to preserve that as much as he could, nevertheless how long could he make it last on his own?

* * *

Ariel followed this man Dane every chance that she found an opportunity. She was a goddess, yes, but in her reflective thoughts, she found that she had been abhorrently absent in her duties to the people of Usoria. Minerna had charged her and her two brothers, Haim, Deity of Life, and Nanahuatzin, Deity of Light, to watch over this world. But Ariel felt her powers limited her to a lonesome existence: she was granted the mighty power to watch and control Time itself.

When she was first given this duty, she used her power to stretch moments for some people into hours so that one moment could be remembered well or help those in dire need. Other times she would use her power to see what lay ahead for some and help guide them onto a better path. Still others she would look back over a person's life to help them remember important things. But after a few centuries, her ability to define past, present and future began to blur. Patterns began appearing to her that would define how certain people would react, despite her help.

As more time passed, she began to grow disinterested and disconnected. Perhaps she had cared too much? Did she not care enough? It all felt monotonous as fewer and fewer people sought her help or acknowledged her existence. Soon she began shirking her duties to the point of near non-existence. The few prayers of people from the surface for protection of their children went unanswered and time passed her by quietly.

She began to wonder what would happen if she were to simply disappear? He brothers seemed to be doing well and were loved by the people. But she? It almost seemed that she had nearly faded into myth as only a handful of people still believed and worshiped her with any hint of sincerity.

The massive surge of power jolted her from the pit she had collapsed into. When she extended her mind to the surface, she could hardly recognize the world. Yes, the place she had come to before was originally dimmer than most of the world, but as she followed Dane to see what had become of the world, she could hardly believe her eyes. What had happened? The world she saw was so much colder and unloving than the one she remembered. Had it really been so long since she truly cared?

She wanted to help, but she was so out of touch with the state of the world she had no idea how. Her best option would be to follow the man she had seen in the city called Margata. Doing so would allow her to learn much of what humanity had become, and how best to help them. As she Dane would work, she was moved by his compassion.

In times when he would tend to someone who had a particularly strong illness, she reached to Dane's hand and strengthened his magic. She also amplified his magic as well when he would build barriers around town and cities.

For all that he did, she found a stirring in her heart, one that she had never felt. Yes, she had felt love towards the people of Usoria, but this was different. She felt a longing to be with this _one_ human. She knew this human would be gone within a few short decades, but she longed to be with _him_. Even she began to refer to him as 'The White Mage'.

As the days and weeks passed and she continued to help him, he began to smile sometimes. But there was still a quiet sadness to those smiles. When he was alone she would come to him, putting her arms around his shoulders and read the journal he would often look into. It consisted of notes that described Darkness, Light, and their Ultimate forms. Fascinating concepts for a human to be looking into. Perhaps she would speak to Nanahuatzin sometime about the subject and gain some insight as to why it was so fascinating to Dane. There was also a second book that he would consult from time to time, but this one was different. It didn't look like it belonged in this time. She couldn't put her finger on it but it was there.

* * *

"My light. My ultimate light is gone." Dane whispered to himself one day. His acts gave him insight to the cause of the famine: Darkness within the world was becoming stronger. It still didn't help with the gnawing loneliness. Women still came to him as they always had, talking with flirtatious tones making him feel all the lonelier. And still that presence lingered. Was he going mad? The amount of sorrow he was surrounded by on a daily basis might be diminishing his own light and pulling him farther in than he wanted. Had his light turned inward and began absorbing the Darkness around him?

As he traveled, his abilities of healing people that were on the brink of death began to gain him worldwide recognition. Dane as well began to notice that his magical abilities were stronger than before. Some even began calling him a saint in addition to his title of 'White Mage'. The recognition did stay some of his loneliness, but all the same he couldn't find the strength to genuinely smile. And then it occurred to him: if the Ultimate Light was the strongest when two people with outward directed light shared it with each other, then perhaps all he needed was to seek out another. Someone like Menodora whose light was always directed outward.

"Yes! That has to be it! If I do that outward light, perhaps then it will not only allow me to see a way to heal this land, but also to heal myself as well!" his thoughts raced when he found time to be alone after a long day's duty and seek out women with this trait. There would be those he thought he saw a small part of Menodora in, and desperately waited for that person to become her. However, it would only lead himself and others to be hurt all the more ultimately further diminishing what little of Menodora's light was left. Most, if not all only carried with them in the inward facing light.

" _Perhaps if I cannot find Light to strengthen my own, then perhaps I will seek out the Darkness and Light will come to me._ " Rumors of a dark and shadowed land, known as the Forest of Peace were sometimes heard as he sought out love. Upon searching out this forest, he found it to be on the far south east corner of Usoria, three days journey past the eastern most part of the East Dragon Forest.

"That is where I must go; Darkness is Darkness." He thought. But what would it accomplish? What would be his reason for traveling so far east? There were no villages, no towns, not even the forest village of Lefra was there any longer. All the same, he searched for it. Perhaps, if he could study Darkness in a place of Darkness, he would understand how to rid himself of it. As he sat plotting the Forest's location in his journal one evening, a Cleric of Ariel came wondering into his camp.

"You wouldn't happen to be The White Mage would you, young man?" the aging Cleric asked, heavily leaning against his well weathered staff.

"I am he. Sit Fatri, ease your feet." Dane instructed as the cleric came as sat on a nearby rock.

"Oh, thank you Saint White."

"Dane, Fatri. There is no need to call me by such lofty titles."

"Oh, but your power and willingness to help has well-earned you that title."

"Even so, I feel as though I do not deserve it. I have done all that I can and yet there seems to be no end to this wretched famine. What more can I do?" Dane questioned, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Have you considered asking the three Deities for help? Perhaps even the Great Mother Minerna?" the old man asked, his bushy eyebrows lifting slightly revealing his dark, wise eyes.

"The thought has crossed my mind. But none of them are my patron. I doubt that any of them would answer my prayers Fatri." Dane grunted, staring blankly into the fire as the sun's light slowly faded away into night. The old man laughed slowly, his smile making his thick white mustache pull upward almost to his eyes.

"Perhaps then you are in need of a pilgrimage." The old man looked around a bit.

"Hmmm, where are we…"

"Arentia, Fatri." Dane smiled, wondering if he would be like this old man one day.

"Ah yes. There is a great tree in the Victarani province far north of here. I have never been that far north myself, as I am from the Al Neth in the north west region. I doubt these old legs could carry me that far now anyway. Seek out that tree: it is said that it is the footstool of Haim, Deity of Life."

"And what am I to do when I reach this tree? Beg for his help? Or seek out some object that will end this famine, bringing it to him as an offering?" Dane scoffed, knowing that deep down he wanted to believe that deities did exist.

"I doubt that he would be so callous as that. It couldn't hurt could it? You might even find something that will cure this land once and for all." The old man smiled, leaning against his staff and promptly falling asleep. Dane grinned, helping the man to the ground to sleep and putting his blanket over him.

"Victarani. Perhaps I will travel there. But first, I must pay a visit to my grandfather in Azwan." During his three-year tour to study magic, Dane often visited Azwan to consult with his grandfather Vusron. In addition to becoming friends, Vusron would also become one of Dane's many masters in magic. Perhaps he would have some insights that Dane had missed.

Four days passed before Dane arrived to the front gate of the buried city. It had been some time since his last visit, so much in fact that sand nearly buried the cobblestone road leading in. A low buzz coming from the great obelisk at the front of the city made his ears tickle as he passed. The sound emanating from it however was strange making Dane pause. It was almost as if the power within it was on the brink of release. Shaking his head, he turned back to the front gate where a well-dressed guard came and stood in his path.

"We don't get many visitors to the city of Azwan. May I ask the reason for your visit?" the man asked. Dane looked the guard over, noting that he didn't have a trace of darkness surrounding him, nor any light for that matter. Looking past the guard, he could see that others within the city as well had little to no Darkness or Light following them.

"I have come seeking counsel with Vusron." Dane answered, looking past the guard once again, puzzled by the lack of Darkness that surrounded each person. Was there something that he was missing? Or was there something that these people were doing that kept the darkness of the world at bay? Could it be that they exuded outward light was so strongly that he couldn't sense it?

"Vusron? Grand Shaman Vusron? Is he expecting you?" the guard asked, almost seeming to be in shock.

"Yes, the very same. Is there something wrong?" Dane inquired, noting that the guard's demeanor seemed forced.

"I'm sorry to say that he is no longer available to speak with anyone of the public or travelers as his time is taken up with managing the power of the Great Obelisk." Dane narrowed his eyes, looking back over his shoulder.

"Does not Azwan train Shaman for that very task?" He asked. During the many occasion he had visited, he would often see troupes of Shaman being led through the halls. When he inquired about them he was told they were specially trained Shaman for maintaining the power of the obelisk.

"I'm sorry but that is all that I am allowed to tell someone who is not a shaman of Azwan." The guard replied. Narrowing his eyes slightly more and turning his head, Dane thought what of what his next path should be. He was still a few days journey from Arentia and his supplies were running low. Perhaps if he were to enter the city itself he could use the opportunity to steal away and search for Vusron.

"Then may I be permitted to enter to buy supplies? I am embarking on a long journey and my current supplies are quite low." The guard said nothing momentarily, seeming frozen in place until his expression lightened and stepped aside, holding out his arm for him to enter.

"By all means. The market is near the center of the city. If you get lost I'm sure that you can ask anyone here and they would be happy to guide you." Dane nodded his thanks and stepped through the gate making mental note of the strange hesitation of the Guard.

A long stairway led deep underground to a massive hollowed out pocket of earth. Stone made up grand viaducts, pillars, palaces and homes that all comfortably crowded the outer edges of the pocket. Wide dirt roads lead down to the very center where a massive but lively market sat. Roads spread out in all directions like veins connecting every part of the city efficiently. As he mingled with the people, he couldn't help but notice that there were very few Shaman among them. During his visits to Azwan, he came to know that it was known for their powerful shamans. Vusron told stories of how the streets would nearly be split evenly between civilians and shaman walking them. But in the city that Dane saw there was not a shaman among them save for maybe one or two.

"Excuse me, but where are the Shaman? I've heard that this city was well known for them." He asked a grocer as he packed his knapsack.

"That is something that I too would like to know. About two years ago there was a sharp decline in the number of Shamans being trained due to all the Grand Masters mysteriously dying within a short amount of time. It is all quite strange." Dane lowered his brow and pursed his lips. There was something else at work here. Yes, it was rather refreshing to see the lack of Darkness here, but it was the lack of Light that concerned him, both of which seemed forced somehow.

Dane decided he would stay for a short while and study the city. He noted almost immediately that indeed the absence of Light and Dark was forced. As to the cause was something that he couldn't ascertain. Dane rested for lunch and began reading over the notes he had taken when he looked up.

He spotted a young shamaness standing among the crowd surrounded by three guards and an attendant. Her golden-brown eyes and fire red hair made her stand out immensely. Her stare lingered on him for a while before she leaned down and said something to her attendant and left. The attendant bowed and quickly made her way through the crowd directly for Dane.

He tensed, but kept his eyes focused on the attendant. He noted that as she weaved through the people, none of them really seemed to be aware of her but moved around her none the less. Dane half turned his gaze down, scribbling something in his journal before the attendant was upon him.

"Excuse me Sir. My lady, Grand Master Hilda, asks for a word with you." Dane shut his journal, tucking it within his bag and sat back as he reached for the cup of drink he had.

"Is there something wrong?" Dane asked in return, his stare burning through her over his cup. The woman seemed to falter, her hand twitching as though signaling to someone off to the side to stay put.

"No, nothing of the sort. Are you not The White Mage?" she asked. Dane narrowed his eyes slightly before setting his cup down, spinning it slightly on its plate; he hadn't told anyone that name in the city so how was it that she knew who he was?

"I am. But what would Hilda want with a lowly cleric such as myself?"

"That is something that I don't know. I am sure my lady is eager to meet you so if you would follow me please." She asked, holding out her hand. Dane was unsure of what this would reveal, but there was only so much he could do to resist someone of high standing. He was, as he put it after all, a lowly cleric. The attendant led him through the city towards one of the buildings that more closely resembled a palace made of earth tone stone. With each hall they passed, Dane noted that all the guard's eyes seemed distant and clouded. Additionally, there was a musty stench that hung in the air mostly masked by the heavy scent of dust. Upon entering a grand room, Dane instantly felt a change: Darkness was thick in here. It was almost overwhelming.

"Thank you for coming Master White Mage. Your name has spread quite a long way and I feel very honored to be meeting you face to face." Hilda said, half sitting on the fine desk on the far end of the room, crossing her legs with a sensuous positioning.

"It is flattering to be known so widely, but as I told you attendant I am but a lowly cleric." Dane repeated, holding his arms wide in a bow. Hilda chuckled under her breath and picked up her weight, holding out her hand as her staff floated to it.

"Now now, there is no need to be so modest. There are stories of you bringing someone back to full health from the brink of death." Hilda cooed as she circled Dane, admiring his physique and long snow-white hair. The hip high splits of her skirt made her legs appear longer than they were; a distracting sight for Dane.

"I'm sure that with some study, such an ability could be powerful enough to overcome death itself. Even, prevent it all together." Dane narrowed his eyes.

"Are you speaking of immortality?" Hilda smiled and tapped his nose with a slender finger.

"Precisely." Dane's face remained hard as he locked eyes with hers. Despite her title of Shamaness, her clothes were far more revealing than her attendant's, almost erotic. From what he remembered of the Shamans, they all wore somewhat modest clothes.

"Such dreams are not meant to be. I have seen what such thoughts bring and it cost me and many others from Margata dearly. What you speak of is simply not possible."

"Oh, but it is." She teased, walking back to her desk and pulling from it a bottle containing a swirling pink liquid.

"With this I have gained my youth and beauty for as long as I am alive. While this potion revitalizes my youth thus extending my life by a substantial amount, the fact still remains that I will die one day. With your power, I am sure that both you and I could find a way." Hilda prodded, setting the bottle down softly on the desk. Dane, intrigued, walked to the desk and picked up the bottle, turning it this way and that watching the liquid inside swirl.

"What did you distil this from?" Dane demanded, looking up at her from under his brow. Hilda smirked and walked behind him, leveling her red lips to his ear.

"This is the extracted youth and Life Force of everyone in Azwan." She whispered. Dane's eyes widened and set the bottle down. Turning around, he watched the guards at the door fade to nothing but bones.

"You used the people of this city to gain such a fleeting thing as youth and beauty?" Dane growled, his hand tensing hard.

"Why not? The only thing I ever received from them was heart break when they condemned me for killing the King. That was a lie of course, but since the King's affections were constantly on me, I was the automatic choice for the murderer. So why not use them?"

"Because those you used are more than likely innocent of that." Hilda's smile faded as she slammed down her staff hard on the ground, power spreading out from it and rushing past Dane.

"You don't understand. It isn't the people that betrayed me, it was the city. But since stone and earth has no life to use, its people are the next best thing!" Dane growled, lowering his hands after using them to erect a barrier spell.

"What about Master Vusron?" Dane demanded as Hilda laughed darkly.

"Him? That old man caught onto what I was planning in its infancy. But his duty to keep the power of Azwan in check grew after the unfortunate death of the other Masters and Grand Masters. He has been busy enough to stay out of my way." Dane felt his face grow hot as blood rushed to his cheeks.

"You witch." Dane growled, fire flaring to life within his hands. Hilda held her staff forward and summoned her pet to her side; a dark creature with glowing white eyes and gold decorated horns.

"Blackheart, be a dear and dispose of this pest for me." Hilda smiled. The creature growled, black flames licking at its lips as it charged. Dane crossed his arms summoning a barrier, watching it crack under Blackheart's force. Dane readied to retaliate but Blackheart forced his way through what remained of the barrier. Dane's arm burned as a backlash of magic surged through it, only to be trampled to the ground and pinned.

Dane grit his teeth, teleporting a short distance away, fizzling electricity engulfing Blackheart in a white light. The ground shook with its power, melting part of the floor away and staining some with spots of soot. Dane stared at his hands in awe for a moment: his Lightning Charge had never been that strong. Not even some of the most powerful of his masters came close to cast the spell as powerful as that.

His gawking blinding him to Blackheart charging him once again from the air as he had sprouted wings. Again, Blackheart pinned Dane to the ground, flames building in the back of his throat. Dane teleported away, having to cross his arms when a flood of flames surrounded him. Again, Dane tried to counter but stopped when he realized the spell might be overpowered. He didn't want to needlessly injure people with power beyond his control.

Blackheart snarled charging through the smoke that lingered, swiping at him with his long claws. Dane ducked, but was met with Blackheart's second fore leg and sent bouncing across the floor slamming into the railing overlooking the city. Hilda held up her hand, halting Blackheart just before unleashing a billow of black and purple flames.

"Do you understand now White Mage? If you could find how to make us immortal, our power would be unstoppable." Hilda smiled. Dane struggled to his feet and looked out over the city; everyone that had been there a few moments before were nothing but well-dressed skeletons. A blast of flames billowed from Dane's hands when Blackheart leapt through them and pinned him. He tried to teleport away but something was preventing him from doing so.

"I told you, such a thing is impossible! And even if it were, someone like you wouldn't be worthy of it." Dane growled struggling to pull free. Hilda walked over to him, crouching down while supporting her chin with her palm.

"Then there is no need for you. As famous as you are if you won't give me what I want then I'll find someone who will." She chuckled. Dane locked gazes with her, recognizing one of the four ways Darkness manifest itself in people's heart. Hilda's had become the worst: a festering well of pain. Dane thought that there might be some way of helping people like this, bring them back from the Darkness swallowing them by exposing them to enough Light. But after seeing up close what such Darkness looked like, he guessed such healing would be impoosible.

"Blackheart, you may dispose of him when you please." Hilda called over her shoulder. Blackheart breathed in deeply, violet flames gathering on his tongue lapping at his lips. Dane struggled to get free, trying to pull his arms from under the creature's weight. As the flame's light brightened, his struggle became more desperate. Teleporting rifts would collapse as soon as he tried to use it, and his spells wouldn't form: his mind was too afraid to concentrate. Just as the light was at its brightest, something caught his eye kneeling next to him. It was only for a moment but the light caught the silhouette of a woman reaching down for him.

"Menodora?!" When the light engulfed him hot flames licked at his face. On instinct he screamed until he felt himself drop onto the warm sand not far from Arentia. He bolted upright, looking all around him trying to gather his barring.

" _Who was it that reached for me? Was it indeed Menodora?_ " he thought. As he went over the image in his mind, he began to see that it wasn't his beloved. Her hair was much too long with a crown that sat in the middle of it, and her dress fit to her body being folded over at the top around her shoulders.

" _Could it be the presence that has been following me all this time?_ " Dane thought. Grave implications began to come to mind when he thought that it was the spirit of some girl that he and Menodora had visited when she was alive. But that raised even more questions: was this all because of the Darkness within the world? What of his grandfather? What of Azwan? How did Hilda command enough power to control an entire city of the undead? All of it required further study.

"But first, I must procure a staff for myself." Dane scolded. He had been told numerous times by his masters and fellow clerics that it would be in his best interest to get a staff to focus his great power. But he never thought much of it. Hilda had shown him by simply summoning a creature that his magic without said focus would not be enough. Traveling into Arentia, he was reminded just how thankful he was for this presence that followed him. It was because of that presence that he didn't become what Hilda had: a festering wound of pain.

" _I must return to Azwan once I have a staff._ " He thought, turning his thoughts once again to his grandfather Vusron. If nothing else, he must rescue him. Facing Hilda or her army of the undead would be a challenge if she became involved, so he would need to be swift and precise. He may be powerful, but even he had his limits. His limit would be facing Hilda alone, and he was sure that she wouldn't fight him alone.


	7. ST - Chapter 6: Salve

Chapter 6: Salve

Once he had obtained his new staff, Dane spent two weeks attempting to rescue his grandfather six times. Every time Hilda and a massive army of her skeleton soldiers waiting for him. After a failed seventh attempt, realized that without help he would continue to fail and exhaust himself. The best help he could think of would be his original destination of Haim's Tree. Perhaps the Deity of Life would have a solution to overpower Hilda's army in addition to having an answer to ridding the world of Darkness.

After 11 entire days since Dane had seen any kind of civilization while traveling through the Victarani province. Searching for the Great Tree of Haim had proven harder than he first thought. His rations were running low, his back and feet ached and he was exhausted. Dane followed some promising leads about where the tree would be after trekking into the northern region. But every lead he followed would bring him to a small shrine or dedicated tree in the Haim's name. The glowing blue stone suspended in the crook of his staff had become dimmer over the last 3 days, a sign mostly that he was becoming too weary to even use any of his magic.

Finding a small cove of roots to rest in, Dane pulled out Menodora's research journal to read some of the notes she had left. Five months and twelve days since her death. Dane sometimes would dream about her as he slept or would find himself shedding tears when he thought about her. All in all, the sadness felt as if it were fading away and the Darkness surrounding him was beginning to dissipate. But the world didn't seem to be any brighter.

" _Is this due to my light not having anything to replenish it?_ " he would ask himself. At times he would imagine Menodora sitting across from him with some kind of food she had prepared earlier in the day as he nibbled on his rations of bread and dried fruits. If he didn't find some kind of village or even a house that could help him, he would be out of food within 2 days. After closing the book, he nestled into the roots using his knapsack as a pillow and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ariel did what she could for him, being sure to give him the strength needed for his long journey. As she peered down the road of time, she could see there were turbulent times ahead for this world. She tried altering events, high points in time to avoid this on coming disaster. He meddling would only make the disaster happen sooner or later. Additionally, the world itself was pushing towards a state of unrest.

Kingdoms of the people within the word would start battles for power. Disputes would break out easily among families that had been friends for generations leading to decade long feuds. Even old wrongs that had been forgiven between nations, families, or even siblings would rise to the surface. Dane in his travels helped in staving off some of these disheartening events only for another, more potent dispute rise somewhere else.

Ariel could see that there was something that must be done, but she didn't know what. She tired communicating this to Haim, but it seemed as of late that his only concern was making sure the world didn't _die_. Whether or not that meant there would be wars was inconsequential as long as the world and its people didn't die off entirely. Nanahuatzin's duties and abilities left him unable to help. The only option she had left was Dane. If only her interaction with him could be on a more personal level, to actually meet him. The wounds in his heart were beginning to heal, yes, but they would need much more care if they were to fully heal. And that required a personal touch.

It would be perfect. If she could actually meet him, she would not only be able to heal him, but in doing so could help him discover a way to avoid the coming disaster. She would finally have what she longed for; him, all to herself. Following Dane had made her come to love him, even if it was from a distance with no way to have that love reciprocated. Perhaps this way, she could have it returned to her as she wanted.

The problem would be how; she could extend her mind to the surface and interact with it on a minimal level. Dane seemed aware of her presence but being a goddess of time meant that she couldn't come to the world herself without leaving most of her power and personality behind in the temple. She had done it once before when she had come to meet some devoted Clerics of her order.

In doing so, she found that her personality and demeanor was far less caring than she truly was. This would not do, especially for love. She could bring him to the temple to meet her in person, but a human could only withstand the air of the temple for so long before having to return. Human's bodies couldn't withstand the sheer immense power of a goddess in its entirety for long.

"How could I be there for you?" she asked herself while watching him sleep. Brushing aside a lock of his hair, she wished that her interaction could be so much more than minimal contact. Humans were always more receiving of divine interaction when they were asleep. This contact, while pleasing, still wasn't enough.

"Goddess Ariel, you are spending much too much time watching just that one human." A voice cut her concentration and snapped her back to her surroundings in the Temple of Time. Once she was aware of what was around her, she saw one of her attending Monks of the Green standing next to her.

"And how would that be an issue? I am allowed some interaction after all, am I not?" Ariel questioned.

"You are the goddess of time, yes, but even you must realize that your duty is to _all_ the people of Usoria, not only this one human. And while your actions of the past have been menial, you can't focus on him alone. He will be gone in just a few short decades, something the Monks of the Blue have told us Monks of the Green time and again." The monk persisted, bringing the ends of his long and wide sleeves together, hiding his hands.

"I know, but I can't help but be drawn to him. He is so much like I was so long ago. His kindness is what draws me to him; his persistent drive to help others despite his own pain. It was he that I first saw after extending my vision to this world. And even if it is for just a brief moment in time, I would like to know what a love he had looks like. I want to know what it _feels_ like."

"Goddess, you are speaking of mingling among humans. Such a thing is forbidden. Even your constant presence around that man has altered him in so many ways, perhaps even for the worse. Your power isn't something that a human could withstand…"

"I know that Monk. I still want to be a part of his life. Not as a deity, but something more. I am a goddess, yes. But at my core I am also a woman. There has been a void in my soul ever since I could remember. Perhaps he can fill that void." Ariel smiled, turning her gaze back to the ground where Dane still slept.

"You almost sound as if you are becoming human, goddess." The monk retorted.

"Perhaps my presence around Dane has changed me as well." She chuckled softly when the thought struck her; becoming human. Perhaps there was a way that she could not only walk among the humans, but also be with the one human that had captivated her so. Maybe not as a human, but something close enough to it to be with them. She left her chambers and went to the Halls of the Green where every memory of Usoria was stored since The Great Beginning. She searched the record scrolls and found one that depicted that which she searched.

"These creatures no longer live among the humans there, but perhaps I can use their likeness to my advantage."

* * *

The sound of birds drove their sharp and high-pitched tweets interrupting Dane's sleep. As his mind became more aware he took a mental inventory of his surroundings. The last he remembered, he had fallen asleep in a cove of roots in a reclined position; hard, and not really that comfortable.

" _Something has changed._ " He thought, taking note that he was now lying flat with his head slightly propped against something, something soft. As his mind awoke further, he felt a slight rise and fall in whatever his head was laying against.

" _Am I lying on or against something alive?_ " he thought. Slowly, he opened his eyes, unsure of what he would find. His surroundings were certainly different; extremely tall trees encircled him on all sides. Beneath him was a bed of what appeared to be down and straw nestled in the stump of a tree.

"You're finally awake. You must have been exhausted." A pleasant voice said. Dane froze, picking up his head slightly to see a slender hand resting on his chest. Following it, he met the golden eyed gaze of a young woman. Her mass of gilded hair lay all around them as a cloud, his head laying on her stomach. Dane bolted upright, reaching for where he had last left his staff but missed it. He held his hands forward as a spell of energy blazed to life within his palms.

"Be at ease White Mage Dane, I mean you no harm." She urged, sitting up and readjusting her delicate, transparent green and yellow wings.

"How do you know of my name?" Dane growled. Looking her over taking note of her dress made of leaves and pointed ears, he guessed that she was some kind of magical creature. In his studies of magic, he had seen mentions of Elves and Fairies, but their sightings or knowledge of them were menial at best.

"I have been watching you for some time Dane. Ever since the accident in Margata that took your loved one." Dane intensified his energy as his eyes went wide, struggling to hold back the flood of emotion that dug its dagger through his heart.

"How do you know of that?! I demand you answer me woman! Who are you?!" Dane growled, stepping back away from her as she rose to her feet. The ball of energy in his hands grew and fizzled.

"I am Enariel. The Usorian form of the goddess of time, Ariel." Dane slowly relaxed his stance, still trying to stay the pain of Menodora's memory being brought back to him so starkly.

"You were there in Margata while Menodora's life slipped away before me? And you did nothing?!" Dane sneered, the energy in his hands changing to a bright fire orange. He thought he had moved past this pain and was beginning to heal. Now this woman, this goddess, was bringing it all back to him. Enariel stepped closer to him reaching for his hand and dissipating the flames within it.

"I would have helped her Dane, but her life was already beyond even my help. There was a dark power at work around her that I could not overcome. The most I could do was slow time for you so that you had as long as possible together." Dane did his best to push away the pain, push away the tears; he was beyond this! It had been months since her death. He should remember her and not feel sadness or pain or loneliness. He shouldn't be, but he was. Enariel moved to him; Dane stepped back but missed his footing and began to fall back. In one swift motion she Enariel put her arms around him, spreading her wings and hovering while holding him close.

"You may weep White Mage. As you have found, tears are a part of healing. You may have begun to heal, but a wound this deep takes much more time than what you have allotted yourself. You have suffered a great loss all at once. Let your tears come, I will catch them." She whispered, pulling him tightly to herself. Dane struggled against himself, willing his tears and pain back into the corners of his being.

The comfort she offered, the permission to weep for loved ones eroded his will to remain stoic. The strength left him as he collapsed into her, finally letting his tears freely fall. Enairel gently landed, his wails echoing through the forest in what felt to be an endless cycle. When he no longer had the strength to weep, Enariel lay under him allowing his utterly exhausted being time to rest.

There would be more tears she was sure, but she was glad that she could finally come to him and touch him in both body and soul. She hoped that her love would reach him once he had healed, and that her love would be returned as she listened to his breathing.

* * *

"She thinks that she is so great just because she can take on another form. Can't we do that as well?" one voice asked. It was high, paired with two blue eyes amidst the shadows.

"She is a goddess after all. She can do as she pleases. This just happens to be one of them." A second, lower voice answered, paired with green eyes just beside the first.

"I bet she going to play a trick on him while he's sleeping."

"No, I don't think she would do that. She has too much of a connection to him."

"But why not? It would be so much fun, don't you think? Why don't we play a trick on him instead?"

"Because you and I both know that we would be eliminated before either of us knew what happened."

"Aww, you're just afraid."

"No, I am not. I just understand my limitations. Unlike you."

"Ha! You _are_ scared!"

"No, I am not!"

"Then prove it! Go play a trick on that goddess or whatever she is." The blue-eyed being pressed. The green-eyed being narrowed the eyes, sighing and rolling them before looking around and finding a snake near where they were. Small stubs protruded from the shadowy figure and picked it up, hovering over to the two people in the center of the clearing. With a yank of the hands the snake dropped right on the head of the woman while flitting back to the hiding spot.

"I'll bet that snake bites her and fills her blood with poison!" the blue-eyed being laughed.

"I bet that snake will wrap around her neck and stop her breathing." The green-eyed being retorted, both of them watching intently as to what would happen. The woman looked as if she stirred when the snake slithered through her hair and across her arm. With a shout, she kicked off the man and began batting wildly at the air trying to rid her hair of the snake that had gotten caught in her mass of golden locks. The man instantly woke up, groggily looking around to find what had happened when he saw the woman in a panic.

"Stop flailing, you'll make it bite you." The man scolded. The woman seemed to not hear him, continuing to flail. Both beings inched closer to the edge of the clearing, waiting with baited breath for what the snake was going to do. But the man quickly grabbed the woman's arms, pinning her securely against himself. With his other hand he gently removed the snake from her hair before walking it to the edge of the clearing and setting it free.

"Aww! Come on! That snake should have at least bitten her!" the blue-eyed being whined when they both saw the man's gaze fixed on them in the shadows. How could he see them? People normally couldn't see them, so their tricks were usually blamed on someone else. But this man looked as if he could see them; how? Quickly, the two of them turned and left weaving their way through the forest.

"You didn't get the right snake, did you?" the blue-eyed being scoffed.

"A snake is a snake. How am I supposed to know which will bite and which will wrap? They all look the same. But did you see the way she panicked when she saw the snake!" The blue-eyed being laughed hard, its eyes squinting to slits as it laughed. The green-eyed being didn't laugh as hard but did laugh none the less until they were over shadowed by a soft blue light.

"What mischief have you two been up to this time." The large being asked. The two shadow beings turned around to see a log-like creature hovering behind them, blue light glowing within the split log of his body.

"Oh, come off it Guwaru. You know as well as I do that we were just having a little fun." The blue-eyed being grunted.

"As the Guardian of the Forest, I must scold you for your actions. You may not like humans, but I cannot allow you to do something as deadly as trying to kill a human. It was reckless and uncalled for. If you do this again, I will have no choice but to dispel you."

"You're no fun Grandpa Tree Bark." The green-eyed being huffed.

"Then I shall spell it out for you. If you continue this destructive path, other humans will come thinking there is a dangerous creature killing humans here. In turn, I will have to protect the forest and only escalate things further."

"You're the guardian of the forest. Why would you protect _humans_? They're so loud a don't really have that much power."

"I protect the humans and in turn, protect the forest." Guwaru answered, reaching his hands around the shadow beings and beginning to move back into the forest with them. Both beings sighed in discontent as they were pulled further into the forest.

"It's not just us you know that's causing problems. Other shadows are draining the land of life you know." The blue-eyed being squeaked.

"Yes, I know. But they are not threatening the life of the forest as of yet. I have no intention of expending unnecessary energy."

* * *

Dane kept his eye on the shadows for a while, his senses tingling as he thought he saw two pairs of eyes leave the outer circle before releasing Enariel.

"You shouldn't have panicked like that. There are poisonous snakes here in the forest." Dane huffed, sitting down once his adrenalin high wore off and the heavy weight of Menodora's memory returned.

"I will admit, I have only been in this form for less than a day. The sensations of that creature were… strange. I simply wanted them to stop." She answered. Dane nodded silently and put his head in his hands, supporting his elbows with his knees.

"Who are you? And why have you been following me. I have never seen you before and yet you know so much of me." Dane asked once he had gathered enough strength.

"As I said, Enariel is my 'Usorian' form of goddess Ariel. I have been following you as Ariel even since the disaster in Margata. The amount of power that was released with the collapse of your Great Circle is what caught my attention. Ever since then, I felt like as if I were drawn to you. And so, I followed you by extending my mind and vision." Looking up from his hunched position, Dane turned his gaze to her as thought connected.

"You have been the presence I felt following me?" Dane probed, watching her smile and softly nod her head. Dane was unsure as to what he should feel. He was indeed thankful for her presence, which helped his heart from collapsing entirely. At the same time, he felt deceived that the presence he had noticed wasn't Menodora whatsoever.

"Then was it you that leant me power to heal those on the brink of death?"

"Yes, that was also me."

"Why? Again, you are a goddess, you could have healed Menodora in an instant, despite the problems. You could have simply healed them all and yet you limit yourself to helping those that are ill by enhancing my magic."

"You misunderstand White Mage. Your loved one…"

"Menodora." Dane snapped.

"Menodora had been touched by a brutal raw force that broke down power, magic, and even life itself. If I were able to overpower that force, close the wound and will her body to stitch itself back together, her life force would have withered away within a few short months. It would have taken a massive amount of power to rise above that force allowing her to live. Her body wouldn't have been able to withstand it."

"What force do you mean? What is so powerful that it can even break down the power of a goddess?"

"There is only one person in Usoria that I know of who created and uses this force; a man within a city called Kritias named Arkarium." Dane's eye became wide as the realization of what it was that prevented Menodora's survival: Anti-magic, or as the Margatans knew it, Dark Alchemy. Dane's shoulders sank; he allowed its use and even improved it for Dr. Long's experiment. _HE_ was the one to blame for Menodora's death, not Russel.

"It's all my fault." He choked. Enariel immediately went to him, putting her hand on his jaw and turning his face to hers.

" _She's stronger than she looks._ " Dane thought for a brief moment, his mind spinning faster and faster as tears stung his eyes anew.

"It's all my fault…"

"White Mage. Dane, look at me. Look and me!" she urged, getting him to focus on her.

"Her death was _not_ your fault. You didn't know what would happen. You didn't force this on her. You are _innocent_." She said with conviction, each of her words fighting their way into his mind and calming him.

"What about you? You are the goddess of Time! You could have seen what would have happened!" Dane countered. Enariel paused; her lack of attention to the world could have been a factor in this. But this man, this human, needed healing. Telling him the truth now might be more than he would be able to bare.

"Even with my power there would have been no way to foresee this unfortunate outcome until it was too late to do anything. Some paths are hidden to me, and this was one such path" Dane felt his being quiver with pain once more and wanted to turn away. Enariel turned his head to her once again.

"I have never experienced the pain of the loss you feel. But let me be the salve to those wounds. Remember what Menodora's last words said not to let your light die with her. Please, your light is too pure to let die." Tears plummeted from Dane's eyes, and his face contorted with grief.

"Please, save me." He whimpered. Enariel pulled him to her chest as he collapsed into her, hiding his mourning in the crook of her neck.


	8. ST - Chapter 7: Sunset

Chapter 7: Sunset

Enariel would stay close to Dane, easing him into peaceful sleep every night while listening to the cries of his heart. She didn't expect him to be healed and return her feelings all within the same week. It would take time. She could look forward in time to see when that point would be, but it would be better and more fulfilling allowing time to pass.

In spite of the care Enariel gave to his wounds, Dane couldn't help but note that the world was still duller than before, unable to fully shake the Darkness within him. Notes and discoveries made by he and Menodora pointed to the fact that this small yet heavy feeling of distress in his heart should be gone. But it was stubborn and simply wouldn't go away even in the presence of Enariel's outwards directed Light.

"What's the matter Dane? You have that look as though you can't understand something." Enairel smiled, standing behind him and massaging his shoulders.

"There is a small bit of Darkness within me that simply will not go away." Dane thrummed, rolling his head as the stress in his shoulders and neck began to melt.

"Perhaps there is a spot of Darkness within everyone that won't go away no matter how much Light it is exposed to. You yourself said that Darkness is, and I quote, 'the left behind by the trials and tribulations of life'."

"Even if that is the case, there should be some way to lessen its effect. At the very least, there should be way to eliminate the darkness despite a scar being left." Enariel gently pulled him to the back of his chair, draping her arms around his chest and resting her head on his.

"Perhaps one's constant thoughts about the pain caused make the Darkness unable to dissipate. Similar to constantly picking scab will make a flesh wound never truly heal." Dane sighed; he knew that she was right on some level, but there just had to be some way that he could be rid of the Darkness entirely. There had to be a way, otherwise there would be no way that he could help the world the way he wanted.

"Even I am not impervious to this Darkness that you speak." Enariel said, wincing a bit after she had spoken. Dane was taken aback: how could a goddess be affected by Darkness? Was its power truly that terrible? If that were the case then his problems were much deeper than he first thought.

"That just can't be." Dane whispered, taking her hand from his chest and turning to look at her.

"Oh, but it can Dane." Enariel sighed heavily. She would have to tell him what her Darkness was, but it would cause Dane much more pain. Walking a bit away, Enairel crossed her arms and hung her head.

"Many decades before you were born, I lost interest in this world, in its people and the happenings. No matter what I did, the humans of Usoria would do what they wanted anyway. Perhaps I cared too much for those that I watched and tried to steer away from a destructive path and yet they still walked down it. And so, I became very distant. The Usoria passed by with little to no intervention on my part." Enariel paused, turning around expecting Dane's expression to be that of anger. But she only saw a blank stare.

"My attention was drawn back to this world when your 'Great Circle' collapsed and released all its contained energy. If I had been more attentive, I could have prevented the loss of your Menodora. But my negligence led to that very moment. It is a weight that I carry and there is no excuse for it. The only path that lays before me is seeking forgiveness from the one that I hurt the most." Enariel dropped her delicate wings as Dane backed away from her, staring out through a window of vines as it overlooked the Aquanan sea.

"This is the second time the issue of your not saving Menodora has surfaced. And now you tell me that her death could have been prevented?" Dane growled, shadows gathering around him in a dark grey haze. Enariel went to him, standing beside him as best she could to catch his peripheral vision.

"If I could go back and prevent such an act from happening without effecting the time line so negatively I would."

"You are the goddess of time, Ariel. As sure as I am standing here, you have the power to do just that. And yet you stand here in some pseudo body and tell me that you can't! Do not tell me of weight that has settled into your being. You had the power to prevent her loss, and you did NOTHING!" Dane roared, the shadows around him flowing out as a dark wind. Enariel clenched her jaw as a tear fell from her eye, power flowing from her being, pushing back against the shadows.

"When one has lived as long as I have, there will come a time when even a goddess will find that her care is taken for granted! YOU HUMANS ARE ALL THE SAME! You think that the protection and care you receive is a given and take it for granted. There are millions of people that I could have helped in the past! And I can guarantee that every single one of them would come seething to my temple begging for a reason as to why I didn't. All I would be able to tell them is that my heart was broken too many times because I cared too much!" Enariel threw her arms down, a surge of power exploding from her body throwing Dane to the ground and into a pile of vines. She heard a loud crack waking her from her enraged rant so see Dane slumped against on the ground. Covering her mouth with her hand she was about to move to him when he pulled himself to his feet and looked up to her.

Fear, understanding, grief and anger displayed across Dane's face. Such Darkness residing within a goddess was something that he had never considered. Regardless it still hurt to know that Menodora's death was so preventable. With a grunt Dane stood and stretched his back before walking to his staff.

"Dane I'm…"

"Goodbye Enariel." He said softly, grabbing up his staff and walking out of the circle with a limp, grabbing his freshly stocked knapsack. Enariel collapsed to her knees: what had she done? Had she pushed away the one chance she had at redeeming herself? Had she just crushed the love she thought she was building? When Dane was out of sight, Ariel pulled her mind back and her body fell limp within the clearing.

Dane meanwhile pressed on to find the Great Tree of Haim. He didn't need healing, especially not from some pseudo woman claiming to be a goddess and certainly not one that let Menodora die. He needed to know how to get rid of the Darkness once and for all. Three days went by before Dane crested a hill overlooking a vast, deep valley spanning as far as the eye could see. In the very center of the valley stood a tree reaching beyond the clouds, its branches covering nearly half the valley from where it stood.

It took Dane another three days to reach the outermost branch's shade, where maple leaves the size of houses lay strewn across the ground in a sunset colored sea. Another day passed before Dane stood at the very base of the tree where a small city had been established, nestled between two of its titanic roots. The city itself had been made of vines, wood and fallen leaves of the tree they lived next to for pathways, ladders and houses.

"Welcome to the city of Eline traveler." A voice said, startling Dane out of his brooding concentration. The voice belonged to a young elfin man wearing white garments adorned with gold while a delicate chain hung from the tip of his ear to its lobe.

"Thank you." Dane replied shortly, continuing on his way towards the tree.

"Is there something that I can assist you with?" the young man persisted. Dane sighed heavily turning back to face him.

"Perhaps. I am searching for a way to speak with Haim. I hear that this tree is where he resides." The young man nodded and motioned towards a set of stairs that had been carved into the bark, winding around the trunk.

"That stairway leads to his shrine within the center of the branches. You can direct your prayers to him there. It is said that prayers offered there are heard by him the best." the man stated. Dane nodded his understanding. A shrine to offer prayers wasn't what he was looking for; he wanted a direct conversation, if deities even existed at all.

"Perhaps you can stay the night and start your journey in the morning. The path to the top is a long one. Many have started but few have finished." Looking to the horizon, it was the first time Dane noticed how long the shadows had grown as the sky began to cloak itself in night.

"I think that would be best." Dane whispered, taking note of the lights as they began to illuminate the streets, paths and ladders of the city. The young man offered him directions to the nearest inn and gave him a parting blessing of well traveling. Dane found the Inn easily enough, opening the light door with enough force that it caught the attention of the few that were inside.

"Welcome to the Astral Gem. Are you seeking a room for the night?" a woman's voice asked. The elfin woman at the reception podium there gravitated his gaze to her. Dane chuckled nervously at his door blunder before responding.

"Yes, I will. Sorry for opening the door with such force. It's much lighter than it looks." The woman smiled as she reached for her ink well and quill for Dane to sign as she reached for a key.

"No need to fret. The door is made of Feather Wood. It happens more often than you would think." Once paying the fee, he gathered a simple meal and took it to his room. Branches and leaves decorated the walls and ceiling giving the room a fairy-like atmosphere. Setting the food on the desk he fell back onto the down filled bed. So much was weighing on him, it felt as if he had been carrying a mountain. Finding the answer to ridding of the world of Darkness had been his mission for so long. Once Menodora died, it almost became a burden to even try and search for an answer. But there were people counting on him, so he had to find an answer.

"Menodora…" he whispered, draping his arm over his eyes. Her death brought such Darkness to his heart, a black and persisting sadness that even Enariel's tender care would not subside. Why? Why wouldn't the sorrow of her death leave him? Was it because he desperately wanted to just will it away? Was it because he wanted the reason she died to be different than a greedy man's lust for power? Did he want someone to blame? A quantifiable, tangible answer? Did he even _want_ to let go of the grief in fear that it meant forgetting Menodora?

And then there was the revelation by Enariel that if she had been more attentive as a goddess, Menodora's death would have been prevented. But in the same thought, he felt unsure that he should shift any blame onto her. She had, after all, tried to be the goddess everyone expected her to be and yet she was taken for granted. She had her own doubt, troubles and Darkness to contend with after all. Closing his eyes, Dane drifted to sleep as tears slipped over his nose becoming lost in the sheets he lay upon.

When morning broke, it was an unwelcome sting to his eyes. Dragging his heavy body from the bed, he put the dry and stiff bread from the night before in his knapsack, returned the key for his room and set out for base of the tree. At the base of the stairs was a small goods shop selling water, food and some basic tonics. Dane used what coin he had left to buy food and water for the journey ahead. If the walk to the city was an indication, there was no doubt at least a few days of climbing before him.

As he stood before the first step, the shopkeeper wished him good luck giving him the momentum he needed to take the first heavy step. For nearly a full day he climbed, reaching a cove that had been carved into the trunk on the south side. If he walked to the edge of the stairs, he could see the lights of the city so very far down. Looking up, he was about a quarter of the way to the clouds that surrounded the trunk just above the lowest of the branches.

Four days past him by as he continued his trek upwards, passing by some that had given up and began heading down. Some were tired from their long journey to the tree and from their climb up. Dane offered some relief of their exhaustion in exchange in healing for a small bit of food to continue his journey. Every night he found there was a cove that had been hollowed out by others on the path to sleep so as not to fall off the stairs and plummet to their deaths.

Two weeks passed before Dane finally reached the top of the stairs. His chin sported a rough beard and his hair had become tangled and matted. Despite being so high up, the air was still quite breathable, something that was puzzling given his scientific background. Perhaps it had something to do with it being Haim's tree that gave it such a property. Looking around, the light of the world seemed dimmer here, but still enough to shine thought the leaves.

Near the center of the trunk there was a small shrine with five small candles burning on it. To Dane, this is not what he had come for. He had come to speak with Haim directly, and he would not settle for just a shrine. Looking around he decided that he would climb higher where Haim was sure to be. No doubt there were no pathways leading up but he needed to try. As he was about to climb a branch, someone's voice from behind him caught his attention.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's a dangerous climb and I doubt you'd survive the fall. Whatever it is you're seeking, it must be quite urgent if you're willing to go that far to talk to me." Turning around revealed the young man he had spoken to at the entrance of the city standing behind him.

" _You_ are Haim?" Dane asked with irritated skepticism.

"That I am." He answered proudly, taking a bow before sitting down on a branch that crackled and weaved over to him.

"Then why make me go through this entire journey? Why would you make so many climb this monument of a tree just for a prayer to you?" Dane snapped as Haim chuckled, putting a hand to his chest and shaking his head.

"I don't and I never have. I've been walking among humans for millennia now, yet they all seem to think that if they take on some arduous journey up a ridiculously tall tree they will have their prayers heard. And yet no one has yet to ask if _I_ am Haim when I greet them at the quaint little city at the bottom of this tree. Pity really. Now what can I do for you?" Haim asked, waving his hand as another branch twisted and crackled into place before him waiting for Dane to take a seat.

"As you are no doubt aware, the world has been warped for some time by a Darkness." Dane began as he took his seat. Haim sighed and nodded.

"That I am."

"Then you are also aware that it has begun effecting the world and a famine has fallen upon it. Crops are dying, the forests are becoming sick on their fringes, people are losing hope for better tomorrow. If this is left unchecked, the people themselves will soon begin to die off. You are the deity of life; doesn't that concern you even a little?"

"It does."

"Then why haven't you done anything?! Is it because you need to know what the Darkness really is? Because I have found that and I can tell you."

"That will not be needed White Mage. I know what the Darkness is." Dane was taken aback but told himself that he shouldn't be surprised that a _deity_ knew he was the White Mage.

"Then why haven't you done anything? You are the Deity of Life! The Darkness threatens the very thing you are charged with!"

"If it were a matter of life alone then I would have no issue in rending this Darkness from the world in an instant. The Darkness itself, as you no doubt know, is the eventual result of wounds in people's souls that have not been cared for or cared for correctly, am I right?" Dane nodded his head as Haim continued.

"When a human dies the Darkness they carried does not simply vanish. It has to go somewhere. So, it soaked into the world. My brother, sister and I all saw what this would lead to, thanks to Ariel's help. We brought the problem to our mother, Minerna. She proposed that we elect bishops in our names to help heal those who needed it. Thus, we began the orders of Minerna, Life, Light and Time.

"Very few answered our calls, and the Darkness only grew. Centuries passed; The Darkness continues to soak into the world becoming so concentrated that it has begun to compound the Darkness within the people living. Ariel tried to help by steering some away from paths that would lead to more Darkness, but it was in vain. My brother and I sent out a more desperate call; still only a few answered." Dane rested his nose on his laced fingers before answering.

"You haven't told me why the Darkness isn't as easy as simply getting rid of it. All you've told me is how you pine for the fact that you couldn't prevent what is happening in the world." Dane growled, the air darkening around him slightly.

"Darkness cannot simply be simply vanquished White Mage. It needs to either be cared for like a wound or extracted and put somewhere like poison. If you were to treat it like a wound, it would drive you mad as there are so many different individual's pain making up the Darkness as a whole. You would need to care for each one individually. And that would take far more time than even a deity such as myself has."

"What if I were to extract it? Where could it be put?" Dane asked, keen on finally being rid of the Darkness that he carried most of all.

"That is dangerous White Mage. Even if you found a way to muster the power needed, the Darkness has become so concentrated it could easily overpower someone if not properly contained. To this end I fear it has also begun to spawn creatures of its own. Remember, Darkness was once a part of someone; it is the compiled raw, unresolved negative emotions and wounds a person carried. As such, there is a speck of sentience to the Darkness itself." Dane pulled the journal out and turned the pages until he came to the passage he had been seeking.

"It has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it." Dane whispered. Slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"As you said I am the Deity of Life. I will do what I can to protect and ensure that Life endures. But against the Darkness, even I have my limits."

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Dane asked heavily. Haim could only shrug, the branch he was using at a seat creaking and crackling back to its original position.

"If there is, I'm sure you will find it White Mage. I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help to you." With a nod Dane turned to begin his long trek down the stairs until Haim put a hand on his shoulder, snapping his fingers and bringing them both to the outer edge of the City.

"Tell me something Haim. You said that you have been walking amongst us humans for millennia. Why hasn't Ariel or Nanahuatzin done the same?" Haim smirked, looking in their respective directions.

"Ariel can't walk here because her power would warp time everywhere she stepped, mostly for the worse. Nanahuatzin is the Deity of Light, and as such he can never be seen directly. His power would blind or obliterate anything near to him." Dane nodded his understanding and walked away sadly without hearing the traveling blessing of Haim.

"I know what I may not have been the best of supplicants, but I have one more request." Haim's face broke into a smirk before laughing softly.

"Trust me White Mage, you are _far_ from the worst. What else troubles you?" he answered, putting a hand to his shoulder.

"My grandfather Vusron, he is a Shaman of the Buried City Azwan. He is being held captive by a Shamaness named Hilda. She has used every citizen of that city to create a potion. My grandfather is the sole member of my family remaining and I wish to rescue him. However, I lack the power to do so. Would you grant me this ability?" Haim looked to think for a moment, looking here and there as he walked away a short distance crossing his arms.

"Your grandfather is Master Vusron?" Haim asked with surprised interest.

"Yes." Dane answered, waiting with held breath for his answer.

"I knew Vusron well, one of the many people I personally called to be a Bishop. But Alas there is nothing that you or I can do for him. As you said he is being held captive by Hilda to maintain the power of Azwan. However being the only one means that his Life Force is now inseparable from the power he maintains."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that he is already beyond my power: He has been maintaining the power for so long that he can no longer leave its presence. When was the last you had spoken with him?" Haim asked with a slight edge in his words. Dane thought back, trying to remember the last meeting he had with him. The only event that came to mind was near the beginning of his relationship with Menodora.

"Quite a while I'm afraid." Dane said quietly, looking down to his hands. Haim sighed heavily.

"Then somewhere in that time is when Hilda has made him prisoner. I'm sorry White Mage but there is nothing that I can do. Rescuing him would only result in his death; you would only save him to burry him." Dane's shoulders slumped, nodding his thanks to Haim who gave him a traveler's blessing as he left.

" _So that's it? Nothing can be done for my grandfather the world or for those that are haunted by Darkness?_ " he asked himself. It took his three days to reach the outer branches of the tree, but when he did, he hardly noticed the rain falling, soaking his clothes within minutes. He had spent so much of his life looking for a way to find what the Darkness was and how to counter it. Now his life felt empty with the news of impossibility. Countering it may be the only option now, since being rid of the Darkness or treating it was an impossible task. If he were to counter it though, he couldn't do it alone. He would need to get to the Ultimate Light once more.

" _Is there even a way to find it again?_ " he thought. He wandered for almost a week before finding that his steps led him back to the clearing where he had stayed with Enariel.

"Perhaps, it would be alright to try and find the light again. Wouldn't that be alright? Menodora?" he thought, looking up to the brightly colored sky as the sun sank low over the horizon.

* * *

It wasn't what she had wanted to do. She had no intention of hurting Dane. Not him. But her anger boiled so violently that she had lost her awareness of the power she exuded and hurt him in the process. How could she have done something like that to someone she loved?

Ariel extended her mind once more, following Dane as he trekked to Haim's tree, almost laughing outright when he hadn't noticed that Haim was standing right there at the city offering his help. But when Dane was granted the meeting that he wanted, it was as Ariel suspected; The Darkness would not so easily be dealt with.

Once she had sated her curiosity of what her brother would say, she recalled her mind and sat in silence, trying to restart her duties as a goddess. Dane made her see that she may have been hurt, but that didn't excuse her from duties to Usoria. He was hurt and didn't let it stop him from his duties, so how much more could she as a goddess?

One day, she tended to the timestream through her Mirror of Time in order to monitor the great disaster that she had seen before and if there were any changes to it. Unfortunately, there were none; in fact, the great disaster had become more ominous and even more disastrous then had been in the past. Despite all her power, she could not see the cause of it to take steps and avoid it.

"I do not think it is because you cannot see it, but rather that you _will not_ see it." A Monk of the Red surmised, watching her Mirror of Time.

"What do you mean Monk?" Ariel asked shortly, unaware that anyone else was watching the mirror with her.

"The _cause_ of the disaster that you are seeing; you have blinded yourself to it because you do not wish to see it as such. Be wary goddess." Ariel lowered her brow as the monk stepped away. The Monks of the Red had such an irritating way of speaking in riddles that made the obvious seem so nonchalant. But they had never steered her wrong in the past, so she must widen her gaze to try to see the thing she had blinded herself to.

As she stared long and hard into the mirror, she felt a touch on the small of her back. It was a firm pressure as if to pull her. She then felt a gentle brush against her cheek; a ghost of a life that seemed so far away now. She leaned into the feeling and pulled her arms around herself, remembering the gentle but urgent tension she felt with Dane's arms around her.

"Dane!" she breathed, realizing that he must have returned to the clearing to find her body limp and unresponsive. He couldn't have thought she was dead, could he? She was after all a goddess. However, her interaction with him was only through the use of, as he called it, pseudo body that she had left behind. Perhaps he did think she was dead.

She went to her chambers and lay down, closing her eyes, extending her mind into the body once more opening her eyes and heaving in a breath. She found herself tightly held as Dane wept over her, taken aback when she heaved.

"Enariel? Are you…"

"Dane, I'm here. What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up on her knees and putting her hands on either side of his head.

"I thought… I thought you were…" Enariel smirked and brushed a hand across his cheek.

"No, I simply pulled my mind back. I'm here Dane. I'm here as long as you need me to be." She cooed. Dane gripped her wrist, leaning his head over and kissing the inside of her wrist. Perhaps there was a small glimmer of hope that he could find the Ultimate Light again. But he would need help in order to do it. Enariel led the both of them to a cliff, giving them the prefect view of the sunset lighting the sky ablaze.

"What made you come back?" Enariel asked, wanting to move closer to Dane, but fighting the urge as she was unsure of what standing the two of them were in.

"I'm not sure. After my meeting with Haim, I just wandered back here. When I realized where I was, a thought I had while traveling came back to me. Perhaps the reason this little spot of Darkness that won't go away is because I don't want it to. What if I am afraid that if I do let it go, it would mean forgetting about Menodora?" Enariel sighed; it stung to hear him talk about her after all this time when he knew what she felt for him, at least she hoped he knew.

"Just because you heal, it doesn't mean you'll ever forget. You two were bonded to one another in ways that will never come again. You will never forget her. But that by no means bars you from moving on. I don't think Menodora would want you to be stuck here in a constant state of pain." Dane closed his eyes as his being seemed to drop slightly.

"Give me time Enariel. I want to move on, but my stubbornness has left me timid from doing so." Dane breathed, picking up his hand to reach for hers but hesitating. Enariel instead reached out and grasped his hand, reaching to his jaw and pulling him close as she kissed his forehead gently. Dane squinted his eyes hard as tears began forming in the corners of his eyes. In the back of his mind, he thought he could hear Menodora whisper to him.

" _It is alright to move forward Dane, my love. Don't let your heart become a cold ember. Let it be the roaring fire I know it can be._ " This time, Dane truly felt his agony hit him, but now he wasn't afraid of reaching for another who's heart was willing to provide the shelter and healing he so desperately needed. This would be his path. This would be the way to find the Ultimate Light once again. Here, under the blazing sky of the sunset, he would find his salvation.


	9. ST - Chapter 8: Hope?

Chapter 8: Hope?

"Enariel, where did you find the Alcove Dew?" Dane asked, looking over a map of the Victarani Province. It was self-made using Haim's tree as the center. He had been mapping out the province for nearly a year, trying to find a place that could serve as the ideal spot away from most civilization where he could extract the Darkness from the world. At the same time, he had also been marking spots where rare and powerful herbs, liquids, saps and flowers were located.

"It should be near the Kernala outskirts where some rather unusual air breathing sea creatures live. Why do you ask?" Enariel floated down from the shelf she had been attending to where scrolls and journals of Dane's research were neatly placed. Setting a hand on Dane's shoulder, she came down to look over the map and current magical formula he was working on.

"It is just a theory, but I believe the Alcove Dew may have what I need to extract a small bit of Darkness."

"Haim told you that it would be impossible to alleviate the Darkness by extracting it and dealing with it. What are you planning to do once you have it extracted?" She asked. Dane sighed long and slow, looking to the map once again and counting out how many days it would take him to reach Kernala.

"I haven't yet planned that far, but I am certain that once I have extracted the Darkness, I will be able to find way to get rid of it." Enariel slowly sat down next to him, looking up to his face.

"Get rid of it? Didn't Haim say Darkness needed to either be put somewhere or have the hurts it containes be counseled." Enariel answered with concern, knowing that even for a deity, dabbling in this Darkness was a dangerous feat. It would be a hundred-fold more dangerous for a mortal.

"I believe that I can be rid of it by using the power of Light itself." Enariel furrowed her brow: using the power of Light directly might work, but even with her limited understanding of the Darkness herself, she knew it would be much more stubborn then that.

"Dane, are you sure that it will work?" Dane smiled slightly and looked back to the map, a sure sign that even he didn't know if it would work or not.

"It's been four months since I was finally able to let myself heal, to let go of the pain of Menodora and let you in. Your Light has pushed away my Darkness and strengthening my own. If I can harness that, I should be able to simultaneously heal and vanquish the Darkness."

"Dane, something like that takes time, not power. You of all people should understand that one's Darkness cannot simply be vanquished." Dane looked to Enairel putting a hand to her neck and leaning against her head.

"I have only been able to smile because of you. The world's Darkness is only getting worse and needs to be dealt with now. Yes, time is needed, but time is something we don't have much of." Dane spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper that sent nervous chills running down Enariel's back. Closing her eyes, she breathed slow and deeply wishing there was something she could do in detouring Dane from this path. She felt as if he were taking a road that she couldn't follow. In the same breath she knew that it was something that must be done.

"I can alter time in a single place if that would help." Enariel offered, opening her eyes and looking directly into the cutting blue of Dane's.

"It would, but I fear that would distort what I would find." Dane softly kissed her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"I will find the answer. I almost have it." Enariel sighed, letting the words he spoke sink in, trying to suppress the uneasy feeling in her heart. She had been watching the coming disaster. When she watched everything no matter the pain it may cause, she still couldn't see the driving force behind it.

"What if you were to talk to my brother Nanahuatzin? He is the Deity of Light and as such, I believe he also has the ability to channel the Ultimate Light." Dane nodded in understanding.

"Yes, that would be a great chance. The Deity of Light should be able to eradicate the Darkness with ease." There was a smile in his voice Enariel hoped meant she had coxed him away from his wanting to deal with the Darkness directly. Dane pulled away and began looking over his map again, trying to figure out where Nanahuatzin's main temple would be. Enariel stayed back, turning her thoughts to what the Mirror of Time had shown her. The Great Disaster, a billowing mass of dark clouds, warring peoples and death; so much death.

There was one glimmer of hope, one tiny chance to avoid this dark path; she had to convince Dane to not pursue purging the world of Darkness and find another to be the one to purge the Darkness. Not knowing what would cause the Great Disaster made the chance even slimmer, but it was a chance she was willing to take.

"Enariel, would you be willing to persuade your brother to grant me an audience?" Dane asked. Enariel grinned and nodded, walking to him and kissing his forehead.

"I will. I'll be back in a little while." She soothed, laying down in their nest-like bed and closing her eyes as her mind returned to her original body. Once he was sure she had gone, Dane's face became blank as he took out a journal from his sleeve and a bottle. Within the bottle was a swirling black mist, scraping against the glass with invisible claws.

"I am able to pull small bits like you from the ground. But it is not enough." He growled as he pulled off the cork. The mist within the bottle surged out, swirling in the air before him as a snake ready to strike. Dane lifted his arm as streaks of light gathered in his palm.

"I will cleanse you from this world." Dane to the cloud which turned its narrowed eyes to him, dozens of indecipherable whispers filling the air around them.

"You're out of your depth, little mage." The cloud growled before lunging at him.

* * *

"You have quite the proposal White Mage." Nanahuatzin said with a commanding voice from behind a grandly embellished screen. The magnificent throne room echoed his voice, dampened only slightly by the fine tapestries hanging from the high ceiling. Dane bowed while putting a hand to his chest.

"Thank you Great Nanahuatzin."

"However…" The deity announced. Dane looked up from under his brow to Nanahuatzin with disappointed agitation.

"I can't do what you suggest." Dane growled in his throat as he stood back to his full height.

"Didn't Ariel explain to you what I am seeking your assistance for?" Dane asked with an edge in his voice.

"She did. But the Ultimate Light you speak of, while I am aware of its existence, I cannot channel it. It is a light that is exclusive to humans that not even a Deity can control."

"Then what of light itself? Will you do nothing while the world is swallowed by The Darkness?"

"Believe me when I say that I have tried!" Nanahuatzin thundered, standing with force as his golden armor's spines fizzled with electricity. Dane shied away when he stood, realizing that he may have offended him. Taking a breath Nanahuatzin stepped down from his throne towards the outer edge of the screen.

"This Darkness is not something that light in its purest form can combat. At best my light can only hold it back."

"My lord Nanahuatzin, I may be over stepping my bounds but please do not step from behind your screen or I shall be turned to dust at the very sight of you." Dane exclaimed, covering his face with his sleeve it hopes that he would at least delay his destruction.

"'Turned to dust' you say? Have you spoken with my brother Haim?" Nanahuatzin asked, a smile in his voice.

"Yes. I fear that your light is too much for me." Dane answered when he heard a hearty laugh.

"You believe too easily White Mage. Haim has been walking among humans for so long that he believes as they do. He may be the Deity of Life, but he has forgotten much in his time walking among them." He laughed as Dane lowered his sleeve to see Nanahuatzin dressed in kingly garb of red and gold. Pauldrons of gold shaped as feathers sat on his shoulders matching the golden bracers on his arms.

"Over the long millennia the humans of your world have created some rather interesting stories about us. I suppose it is to be expected as fewer and fewer actually believe in us despite what they say. It seems that Haim didn't tell you your biggest secret either; I'm surprised." Nanahuatzin smiled, walking to a small table where a few glasses and a pitcher of a pale wine sat.

"What secret?" Dane asked with apprehension. Nanahuatzin sipped a mouthful from his glass as he walked over to Dane and offered him another.

"Haim is well aware of the Darkness as you know. And he knows that neither he nor I can actually affect the Darkness in any way. So, he created a life that he brought to me. I then planted a bit my light within that life. And when your mother and father consummated their marriage, that life was put within your mother's womb. This is why you are so acutely aware of the Darkness within the world. Haim and I gave you the power to find a way to defeat or heal this Darkness once and for all."

"You used me? You fated me to become what I am today?" Dane asked through gritted teeth.

"No White Mage. Not in the least. We gave you the tools, an advantage, in hopes that it would guide you to a path that would cure the Darkness. And here you stand, trying to find a way to rid the world of the Darkness. You could still have chosen not to go down this path, but you were never _fated_ to do anything."

"Then what about the ancient mage that came before me?" Asked Dane. Nanahuatzin raised a brow and quickly finished his sip of wine.

"I beg your pardon?" Dane reached into his sleeve and pulled from it the journal that had started him on his path, opening it to the pages that had captivated him so long ago.

"This ancient mage said that he too felt the darkness and tried to find a way of beating it back. He tried to do the same thing that I am doing now." Nanahuatzin looked over the weathered pages, quickly reading over some of the entries until he came to the page completely covered with black ink.

"Where in Usoria did you find this?" Nanahuatzin asked with a serious tone, closing the journal and looking over the battered front cover.

"I found it in the Great Knowledge Depository in my home city of Margata. It fell from a book shelf along with a few others." Nanahuatzin's eyes were wide with concern and disbelief as he handed the journal back.

"Take care as you read that journal. It is not from time before. There was no other that came before you." Dane lowered his brow, regarding him with growing worry.

"How can you tell that it isn't from the past? I thought Ariel was the only one who could read or control Time?" Dane asked.

"Everything that exists has a Light. It is hard to explain…"

"Atomic Decay, is that what you mean?"

"Is that what you humans call it? In any case, everything that exists has this light. And everything from the moment it is created to the time it is no more has its light fade over time and is similar to the light of everything around it. The same 'color' if you will. This journal's light is not. Its light isn't fading, nor is it even the same kind. Its light does not belong here in this time nor is it from the ancient past. It is not even a relic."

"Are you saying that this journal is from the future?"

"I can't say that with any amount of certainty. Ariel has told me that Time of the Past has happened and should never be trifled with. But the Time of the Future hasn't been written yet and is quite fluid. Any small thing could change it. As far as we know, this journal came from a time when you didn't succeed and you are changing that future right now. If you want any amount of certainty, you must speak with Ariel of this."

"I shall." Dane said firmly, putting the journal back into his sleeve.

"Is there any insight that you could give me to know how to defeat the Darkness? I feel I have reached the end of my own understanding." Nanahuatzin smirked and nodded.

"Whether it was you or another, I knew this day would come." He answered with a smile. Holding his hand towards his throne, twelve intensely colored crystal shards floated over the screen towards them. Nanahuatzin then held his other hand forward as a staff appeared with a ring on either end. The crystals were then mounted onto the rings in a starburst pattern.

"This staff, the Shining Rod, uses these crystals which allow you to harness and focus the Ultimate Light that you and Ariel share. As I said before, The Ultimate Light is something that is created exclusively by humans. If enough of it existed, I could use it. But alas, the world is growing darker and it is getting harder and harder to find that light. I leave it to you, White Mage." Nanahuatzin said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"If Humans are the only ones able to produce this Ultimate Light, then how is it that Ariel and I share it if she is a goddess?" Dane asked. Nanahuatzin lowered his gaze, squeezing his shoulder a bit.

"In her form on Enariel, she is much more human than goddess. Much of that is your doing; be sure to take care of my sister, White Mage." He finished when Dane found himself standing on the ground once more.

"Well?" Enariel asked. With a smile on his face, Dane presented the staff he held in his hands.

"It appears that we aren't completely left without hope." Dane answered. Enariel walked to him in awe, looking over the crystals embedded in the rings of the staff.

"The Aurora Crystals. I never imagined that he would give them away so freely." She whispered, running her hand over them.

"Nanahuatzin told me that these would allow me to harness our Light, using it to combat the Darkness." Both of them smiled to one another, feeling the first true ray of hope they had seen in a long while. Enariel looked back up to his face to the bandages on his arms and hands.

"Why were you so foolish in thinking that you could vanquish such a creature Dane. Have you truly grown so impatient?" she asked. Dane said nothing as they left. Enariel shook her head. Ariel found Dane lying on the ground his arms and hands covered in blood after arranging a meeting with her brother. All around him were signs of a battle, small smoldering cuts that still emanated a sallow presence in his skin.

Had she been a just a few moments later, Dane would have lost his life. Using her divine power, Enariel rewound the area watching in horror as Dane fought off a creature made of Darkness he had already extracted. She vowed that she would stay all the closer; if Dane was indeed so reckless, he would need more than just a relic of the gods to defeat this darkness.

"There is something that Nanahuatzin had directed me to speak to you about." Dane said, reaching into his sleeve and pulling out the journal.

"Regarding what? Something written in this journal?"

"No, the journal itself. Your brother has told me that this journal isn't from the past, that there was no mage before me that attempted to rid the world of Darkness. Is this true? And if so, when is this journal from?" Dane asked with earnest innocence. Enariel held her hand out for the journal; the moment it touched her hand images of a fierce battle flashed through her mind. Two men in red and blue armor fiercely fought, five different color flashes cutting the dark behind them. Betrayal, disappointment, desperation, hope and blood all flashed through her mind before yanking her hand away and holding her head.

"Enariel! Are you alright?" Dane asked reaching out to her and catching her before she fell back. Nodding she took her balance once again and stared intensely at the journal, looking over the burns and cuts in the cover.

"This journal is from a time in the future. How far I am unable to tell. The events surrounding this journal are too confused and jumbled to know for sure."

"You are the goddess of time, how can you not know when this is from? How can you _not_ know that there was no mage before me. How could you let me believe there was never anyone before me?" Dane asked, raising his voice with each question.

"There are some things that are kept from me Dane, hidden things within the Chamber of Oblivion. Only my mother Minerna and those of the Red are permitted to know what lies within its walls."

"But you are a goddess, how are there things you are not allowed to know?"

"It has always been this way, even from the time of the Great Beginning before my brothers and I were born." Looking to the journal, Dane threw it to the ground, summoning a ball of flames to his hand, obliterating the journal into ashes.

"If this journal is indeed from the future, then I have already thrown this world onto a different path. Isn't that right?" Enariel nodded, thinking over the paths of time the would could have taken. There was no 'absolute certain' path time was to take, but it had changed ever since Dane found the journal.

"The damage may have been done. But at least from this point on there will be no further damage inflicted upon time."

* * *

The blue eyed being watched them both as the green eyed being materialized to its left, hiding within the densely packed brush.

"That man there seems to have something that will destroy us." The blue eyed being growled.

"Isn't he the one we tried to get a snake to bite a while back?" the green eyed being asked.

"Yes, but Guwaru stopped us before we could get much beyond that."

"So why don't you simply go and kill them yourselves rather than just playing trick on them?" a third voice asked. The beings turned to see a large shadow loom over them, its large violet eyes narrow and slanted in rage.

"What would be the fun in the that? They wouldn't squirm or squeal any more. And that's the best part!" The green eyed being answered. The violet eyed being snarled, about to move on them when something made it stop and shrink back.

"What's the matter? You too _scared_ to do anything?" the blue eyed being sneered.

"There is something there that is dangerous." The violet eyed being growled.

"Yeah I know. It's that rod he has. It feels dangerous, but almost like being…cheered." The green eyed being answered. The three of them shrank back when the two they were watching turned towards them, watching where they were intently.

"Dane? Is something wrong?" the woman asked. The man shook his head before turning around and walking away.

"It was nothing. Let us return home." The man said as they turned to leave. All three beings released the tension in their forms, looking to one another.

"It's almost like that man knows where we are! He did that once before, remember?" the green eyed being squeaked.

"Yeah! It's like he could see us! It had to be something you did because I was silent the whole time." The blue eyed being retorted. The violet eyed being only turned and left, searching out another target for his rage as the other two bickered. It was after all their fault. It was ALL their fault. They were the ones that drove him to drink. They were the ones that wanted him to die. They were the ones that took him away. And they would pay.

The violet eyed being wandered for some time until it came to a path. This path looked well worn. Yes, this would be the perfect spot for one of them to come and pay for what they had done! The being lay in wait, crouching down within the ever-darkening forest as evening set in. It didn't take long for three of _them_ to come, three people that were responsible for driving him to wash his blood away with liquor.

As the being waited, the laughter of the humans coming made it even angrier. What did they have to be so happy about? Were they congratulating one another for their deed being completed? The being waited for another few moments as they passed before silently seeping from the forest behind them, rising high in the air and extending the aura of it body into claws.

The being raked its claws down the side of a tree, tearing the thick bark from its trunk loudly enough to make the humans turn back to him with fear riddled eyes. The being bared its fangs as violet light glowed from its mouth. These humans knew what they had done, and they knew they were guilty. The three humans turned to run, screaming something about a monster. The being gave chase, pouncing on the first one and silencing her screams before she had a chance. The second was just as easily defeated. The third fell down, backing away on the ground until he was against a tree, unable to run. The violet eyed being watched him for a moment, waiting until their eyes met before lunging in.

* * *

"It's the eleventh attack like this. I haven't the slightest idea what could be causing it or what is doing it. And it's only getting worse." The cleric bemoaned. Dane had been visited by five Bishops, each of them having sought him out in hopes that he, the White Mage, might have an answer. Dane heard of recent attacks by creatures made of shadow in the past, he had even defeated a few malformed ones in the past. Up until now they were limited to destruction of buildings at the worst. Now people were being killed by these creatures and in brutal, vengeful manors.

"We can't fight these creatures on our own. But you can." A second bishop stated.

"Fatris, your faith in me is flattering, but I am only one man. I can't fight off these creatures and search for a cure to the Darkness that has infected this land simultaneously." Dane answered apologetically.

"Then teach us! Teach us what you do and allow us to help you!" A third younger bishop pleaded. Dane looked back to his Shining Rod next to Enariel sitting on their bed. He might be able to share the power of the Aurora Crystals, but none of these clerics had ever fallen in love with a woman; a part of the clerical code. It was that one caveat that would be the death of these bishops if they didn't abandon it.

"White Mage? Will you teach us? As such we would be better equipped to help the people of Usoria." Dane thought about it long and hard; it wasn't that he was trying to keep his research a secret. He simply didn't know _how_ to teach them.

"I must be honest with all of you, there is only one thing I have to share with you. In order to use it properly however, you will need to break your oath as a Bishop. You must be able to love someone." All five fell silent; being a bishop of their deity had been their life's work. They all knew that when they took the oath, they would never be able to marry as their work often kept them traveling. And the road was no place for a family.

"If that is the biggest sacrifice that we must make to keep Usoria safe, then I say it is a small price to pay." The youngest of the bishop said. Dane smiled and looked to him when he heard the enthusiastic proclamation.

"And what is your name Fatri?" Dane asked with a smirk.

"Vieren, Master White Mage." Dane looked to the others as they gave their names as well. James, Pharamund, Xenos, and Mars. Mars looked to be the oldest and was the most reluctant to give up on his oath. But when weighing it against the stakes he was presented with, he agreed that it would be a small price to pay. Once Dane was sure they understood what the task was they would be taking on and that it may mean even greater sacrifices, he took them all to a smithy to make five more Shining Rods. While they waited, Dane studied the crystals and found a way to copy them, splitting off small shards of the master crystals to 'grow' new ones.

"So, this is the Shining Rod. A magnificent piece of craftsmanship I must say." Mars marveled, swinging his Rod this way and that, watching the light dance from the crystals as it spun.

"Now, these rods will allow you to harness and amplify the light you carry to fend off these creatures of Shadow. You all exude outward light, the best weapon against Darkness. But if you are to harness this Rod's true power and vanquish these creatures, you must love someone with the same outward Light."

"And what if we fail in that venture?" Xenos asked. Dane smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You won't fail. This is something that must happen naturally. It may take only a little time, it may take years. I will teach you how to sense the 'shades' of light to find outward Light. Until then, let us all go and make sure these shadows are dealt with." He said with conviction. As they all turned to leave, Vieren stopped.

"What should we call ourselves since we've abandoned our clerical creed? I doubt any of the temples would take us in now." The other four stopped and thought. They hadn't given much thought to what would happen once they had chosen this path. They could no longer call on the temples they used to serve for their afforded supplies and comforts. Dane nodded, thinking for a moment before answering.

"We are Clerics to the Order of Aurora." Mars and Xenos immediately latched onto the name, agreeing that such a title was rather appealing. When all had left, Enariel came forward and put her arms around Dane's waist.

"'The Order of Aurora'. I like it."

"Yes, but it won't be enough. There is still more that we need to find out about the Darkness if we are to fully understand how to combat it." Dane said with a serious tone as he watched the other five leave, hoping lived for a brighter future.


	10. ST - Chapter 9: Understanding

Chapter 9: Understanding

The Order of Aroura gained renown in Usoria over the comfortable rush of five months. The six of them kept their focus limited to the Victarani province as they were so few. Soon other clerics and bishops began begging to be taught in order to combat the creatures made of shadow.

In most cases, the news of having to break their oath of celibacy kept them from accepting. Dane couldn't blame them. Some of the traveling bishops were aged and well set in their ways. Others just couldn't bring themselves to abandon the orders they had been dedicated to. Clerics and bishops as a whole were few, and despite the need to combat these creatures, clerics and bishops of the deities were needed as well.

Over the months, enough funds were gathered through offerings and gifts to build a small cottage. With direction from Dane, the order would build their new home base within the Forest of Peace. It would be deep within the East Dragon Forest, near what most called the Mountain of Healing. Here the trees grew so thickly the sun was completely blocked out as if it were permanently night.

"Why would you pick a place like this? It's so dark and hard to get to that if anyone wanted our aid they might be lost." Pharamund noted, holding up his staff as a torch to light their way.

"Perhaps it's a metaphor? Seeking out a light within the darkness?" Vieren suggested, picking his way through the shrubbery, holding out his hand for his newly married wife Tasia.

"No no Vieren. It is nothing so intellectual. I caught rumors of this forest some time ago. I searched for it, but never found it. Instead I met Enariel and searched for the Tree of Haim. When my research was not gaining any new ground, I decided to search out the forest once more." Dane explained, tightening his grip on Enariel's hand as he led them through the forest.

"Then why seek out such a subjugating place? I feel as if my shoulders are around my chest." Mars asked with a breath of awe and apprehension.

"I had hoped that a dark place would ease my study of the Darkness." Dane answered when he held up his staff and dimmed the light emanating from it. Pharamund followed suit, kneeling to the ground. Dane tapped on his rod twice, then once, then three times followed by a final tap. Shuffling could be heard as the others maneuvered in the dark, pulling Tasia and Enariel into the center of their ring.

"What's the matter?" Tasia asked with a whisper.

"Something is watching us." Dane whispered. Tapping twice on his rod and slowly raising it above his head.

"Shield your eyes." He whispered.

* * *

The violet eyed beings watched the traveling group with disdain. The dark of the forest hid most of their violent form, but even it couldn't hide their glowing violet eyes.

"They are the ones."

"They are the reason."

"Why did they do it?"

"What did I ever do to them?"

"I was pushed too far because of them!" The chorus of whispers hung thick in the air, each one a painful melody of memory from a long-passed life. Around each creature was a desire, a deep insatiable need for justice of their own doing. Some of the violet eyed creatures crept ever closer to the traveling band, limbs quivering in anticipation; the justice they sought was so close, but something held them all back. It wasn't a fear of being defeated, no that fear had long since left them. It was the fear of being no more, of not attaining the justice they sought.

Something among these people, these oppressors, was making even the strongest of them shudder. The blue and green-eyed beings were among them, watching their movements as well. They didn't fear that something as much, but they still felt an unrest surrounding the traveling group.

And then they stopped.

"I will crush you!"

"You will wish you never embarrassed me."

"I will show you the pain you caused!"

"Who's the big boy now?!" All the multitude of whispers thickened, closing in around the traveling group, overpowering their fear of that something. The need for revenge, justice, resolution, or whatever word was needed drove them on. The blue and green-eyed beings stayed back. They had no vengeful intentions and playing any kind of trick now wouldn't be as funny, not with the others surrounding them and instead decided to pull away from the depressing air.

All at once the entire area was engulfed in blinding white light. The violet eyed creatures shrieked in pain as their bodies were shredded to scraps. Flashes and spears of light split the darkened air, tearing through the creatures and trees alike. Hissing masses of whispers arose as the creatures were dispatched. Within a few moments the area was silent with only the sound of the humans breathing hanging in the air. The blue and green-eyed beings looked to each other, blinking away the rainbows in their eyes.

"What was that?" the Green-eyed being asked.

"I don't know but it makes my core feel like its vibrating." The Blue-eyed being answered.

"Let's get out of here!"

"You have no argument from me!"

* * *

"Is anyone hurt?" Dane asked, slowly lighting the area once more so as not to blind anyone. Pharamund, Mars and James followed suit, revealing Tasia to have a small gash on her forearm and a burn mark on the side Xenos face.

Enariel quickly tended to their wounds, careful to limit herself to the amount of power a human would use. But Xenos's wound was much more stubborn than a simple burn; it was as if his flesh were rotting and turning to vapor before their very eyes. Enariel watched to ensure that no one watched apply divine power to the wound.

She first cleared away the rotting flesh then closed over the wound. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to fully restore his face for that would reveal who she truly was. Dane had explained to others that she was the last fairy of Usoria, and to an extent they all seemed to accept her which allowed her use of a slight bit of divine power without question.

"That's fairy healing magic for you. Always an immense blessing to watch you work Lady Enariel." Mars commented, offering a drink of water to Xenos. Enariel smiled in thanks, looking over her hands as the 'divine shine' as she called it faded from her fingers.

"Did you use some?" Dane asked quietly. Enariel nodded as Dane took her hand and kissed her knuckles, dissipating the shine all the quicker.

"Thank you. Now, let's continue on. I think we are close to the ideal spot." Dane announced as the others filed away from the area. Dane however lingered for a time. There was something in the dark, something that he had always known about but could never fully explain. Two presences were near and had been near him for some time. But the light from his staff and the darkness surrounding them prevented his seeing them. Perhaps once they had the cottage built there would be time to explore this presence.

A combination of strength of arm and knowledge of magic soon had the two-story cottage built. It was smaller than they hoped, but for the money available it was comfortable enough to give Vieren and Tasia their own room, as well as Enariel and Dane. The others agreed to share a room with the understanding that if needed, they could always expand. Once they building was complete, Pharamund and Mars set about making soft lighting crystals around some of the trees to light their way through the forest to the cottage.

With the cottage now complete, Dane set about trying to understand in depth how he could extract and eliminate the Darkness in the world once and for all. He started small, creating salves, potions and elixirs to help him extract small bits of Darkness to contain and study. Perhaps if he could narrow his search to the 'shades' of Darkness as he had done before, he would be able to better identify and apply his light.

With each passing day, he would discover 'shades' of Darkness, but it was far more intense then he could quantify. His research with Menodora revealed in total seven distinct shades of Darkness. His research at the cottage in just under a month revealed more than a hundred with more appearing daily. Some were similar but all had their unique signature making it nigh impossible to know how to apply his light. Enariel came into his study one day to see Dane leaning on his hand furiously scrawling notes on a parchment.

"If you write any harder that paper with catch flame." She chuckled standing next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"I've managed to find that Darkness exists yet have not been able to find one thing that will help me to get rid of it in mass." Dane sighed with an edge of frustration as he leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Enariel looked all around them, noting dozens of small bottles containing what appeared to be black clouds.

"Perhaps all these are giving you problems." She suggested, reaching for one of the bottles to look at it in more detail. But as she picked it up and brought it closer, she began to feel a fear settling into her being. The moments passed slowly as the fear began to form into a fear of… Dane? She pulled her hand away from him as the fear began to split and become something else: shame. The fear then began to split again, this time fear that the shame she felt would be discovered. Questions began to form in her mind.

" _Why did this happen? I did nothing wrong, why did he do that? Will I ever be worthy? How could I have been so stupid?_ " Enariel's skin turned pale as the world around her faded away into a dark and pressing void. Nothing but her fear, questions and shame drove themselves into her like spears of fire. As the weight of her feelings began to overwhelm her, the Darkness around her suddenly vanished. Dane pulled the bottle from her hand and gripped her to his chest, holding the bottle away from her. The stillness slowly calmed her down as the rhythm of Dane's heart gradually brought her back to reality.

"Are you alright Enariel?" Dane asked with a concerned edge in his voice.

"What was that?" she asked with shaky breath, breathing hard as if she had been on the verge of tearts.

"What you were experiencing was the gathered emotion of someone who may have been abused or raped. I can't exactly tell but that is what you experienced." Enariel wanted to reach for Dane's shirt and grip it as hard as she could to ground herself but there was still a lingering fear.

"It felt… I felt like I should have done something different. If only I had…"

"Enairel. Those are _not_ your emotions. Breathe and listen to what I am saying. You have nothing to fear from me. I have not and _will not_ assault you. Ever. Think back to what you know of me; don't focus on the present right now, focus on the past." It was a struggle, but Dane's words kept her focused enough to think back on when she first met Dane, what it was the drew her to him, and how she had fallen in love with him. A few moments later, her fears and shame were gone.

"How is Darkness able to do this? It's contained but flooded my mind so easily, yet you seem unaffected." Dane sighed with relief helping her to her feet and putting the bottle away.

"This is a powerful pain, left uncomforted, tucked away within the human spirit where it festered. These are all secret pains of people who died or were consumed by it." Dane explained motioning to the other bottles within the room with labels like abuse, abandonment, rejection and loss.

"Without the knowledge of what it is or how to make sure it doesn't affect you, it will infect you very easily. All Darkness is like this. With what I know of magic, it is barely enough to maintain my control and not become lost to its thrall in this small amount." Enariel leaned against his back and put her arms around him noting that the room felt heavier than she first realized.

"Then why aren't the people of the world affected more? The power contained within this Darkness should send everyone into a spiral of depression and fear." Enariel asked.

"Perhaps direct contact with Darkness as opposed to indirect exposure such as exists in the world is what makes it so much more dangerous." Dan answered, setting the bottle down next to his journal. Enariel put her hand on his shoulder, sliding down his arm and lacing her fingers with his.

"Perhaps a walk would give you a chance to clear your mind away from all this bottled pain." She suggested, turning him around before leading him out the door. Immediately Dane appeared to brighten, despite the constant night-time like air of the forest.

Reaching back inside the door, he grabbed his staff and grabbed her hand, bringing Enariel with him as he wondered through the forest. They both admired some of the plants the grew in the comforting glow of the Guide Crystals he and the others had made to light their way through the forest.

* * *

"It's them again." Grumbled the blue eyed being.

"They always come out after a couple weeks. Maybe they are ready for another trick?" the green-eyed being answered, floating up next to the blue eyed being.

"He doesn't have that thing that makes us scared, so maybe we should be able to get him good!" the Blue eyed being giggled.

"Yeah! We should be able to try that snake trick again! It'll be funny to watch him dance and flail in terror!" the green eyed being exclaimed. The two of them giggled and snorted as they searched for a dangerous snake. They managed to slip away from Guwaru and his constant scornful gaze, learning a thing or two about what snakes were dangerous to humans.

Once they had found their snake, the blue eyed being picked it up, giggling as it tried to snap at him but only caught a mouthful of wispy, smoke-like aura. The humans were hard to find again despite the man have the long white hair and the woman having those brightly colored wings.

Once they did though, the two of them were sitting on a rock, just talking and pressing their faces together over and over again. The green eyed being watched with what appeared to be envious apprehension. But the blue eyed being scoffed and rolled its eyes.

"Look, remember what we were going to do here!" he scolded with a hissing whisper. The green eyed being's eyes squinted as if smiling and nodded. They waited for just the right opportunity when both of the humans stood.

"It's now or never! Do it!" the green eyed being seethed. The blue eyed being was ready to toss the snake but the both of them stopped when the man turned to them. He stared at them for a long while before speaking, probably to make sure the woman didn't hear.

"It's you. I know you're there, so come out into the light."

* * *

"Enariel, tell me. How human are you right now? I know that you are simply using this body as an avatar for your true self to walk among us human. But how for does that extend?" Dane asked, sitting down on an outcropping of rock. Enariel sat down beside him and thought for a minute.

"What is it you are asking? Are you asking if this body has the ability to bare children?"

"I suppose to some degree I am. But what I am more curious to know is whether your extended stays within this body are affecting you as a goddess? Is harm coming to you as you are? Are you irreversibly changing?" Dane asked. Enariel thought as she looked over the nighttime landscape before leaning against him.

"There are many ways in which you have changed me Dane. I may be a goddess, but during my stays here I have been provided a glimpse of how precious, how disproportionately short your beautifully tragic lives are. There are sometimes that I curse my existence to know that I will outlive you and all humans alive today many eons over." She sighed, leaning over and pressing her lips to Dane's with all the passion she felt deep within her being.

"But then I remember all the time we have shared and how you have shown me that while your lives may be short, they are the most meaningful. If I could, I would abandon my post as goddess so that I may live out my days with you." Again, she kissed him with slow but deliberate movements.

"I do not think I would even ask such a thing of you. The world relies on your existence, and it would pain me to know that the world you grew to love with me would be deprived of you. If and when the day comes that I do die, and it will, I will still be a part of it. I will live on in here." Dane pointed to her chest as Enariel reached for his hand, placing it over hear heart. It was a comfort to feel the warmth of his hand. She knew she was able to travel through the Memory Hall to relive this exact moment any time she wished. Sadly, she would never _feel_ the memory ever again. She would never feel the warmth of his hand, the strength, the size of his touch this way ever again.

"Promise me this Dane; you will find a way to defeat the Darkness and you will never be taken by its thrall." Enariel begged as Dane cradled her jaw before pressing his lips to hers with a long and firm kiss.

"I promise." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers for some time before they both stood.

"I suppose we should be getting back, it's been a couple hours." Enariel suggested.

"I will join you shortly. I have a few thoughts I wish to explore before returning to the study." He smiled as she left, their hands lingering on one another for some time before Enariel spread her wings and fluttered back to the cottage. Dane meanwhile turned his attention to the bramble behind the rock and stared hard at it. When he was sure Enariel was far enough away he spoke firmly.

"It's you. I know you're there, so come out into the light." Dane commanded as the blue eyed and green eyed beings came out into the light of the crystals. Before Dane could say anything more, the blue eyed being tossed a snake at Dane. Instead of getting the panicked reaction the two beings were hoping for, Dane simply watched the snake land at his feet. The snake didn't do much for a moment, rather flicked its tongue a few times as through righting itself. Dane reached down, picking up the snake and staring it in the eye for a long while before he casually set it down. The beings were in dumbfounded awe as the snake slithered back into the forest.

"Aww come on! That was supposed to surprise you! Make you dance!" the blue eyed being exclaimed. Dane chuckled softly.

"You two are quite mischievous aren't you. You both tried to pull this trick on me once before a long time ago." The blue eyed being narrowed his eyes as the green eyed being spoke up.

"Yeah, and after that we were going to jump out of the bushes and scare you off. That would have been hysterical!" The blue eyed being laughed in unison with the greed eyed being as they recounted their plans. Dane chuckled again as he listened to them speak.

"Yes well, something like that would require that I would be at least a bit afraid of you." The beings raised what appeared to be an eyebrow and looked at one another perplexed.

"Hey how come you aren't afraid of us? We've jumped out at other people before and they scream and yell as loud as they can while running away. But you aren't even shaking." The Blue eyed being scoffed, looking Dane up and down to size him up. Dane thought back to what Nanahuatzin had told him about who he was, and why he was so attuned to the imbalance of the world.

"Perhaps it is because I am not your usual human. Normal humans can't sense things as I do. The other humans that come here can also sense things that no ordinary human can." Dane answered with a grin, kneeling to a knee to better see the beings before him.

"Tell me, what are you? You aren't like the other creatures that are formed of Darkness." Dane said. The beings looked at each other, unsure how to answer.

"We are…" The green eyed being began, stopped when the blue eyed being nudged the green eyed being.

"What?" The green eyed being hissed, before the blue eyed being turned to Dane to ask a question.

"What are you doing here human? Guwaru has charged us with keeping our forest safe!"

"No, he didn't! You made that up!" the green eyed being shot.

"Yes, he did! This is OUR forest! You cannot simply come here and claim it as your own!" the blue eyed being growled, lowering its brow to a scowl.

"Do you even claim ownership of the Darkness that permeates it?" Dane asked. The blue eyed being was taken aback.

"Darkness? Y-y-yes. Yes! We claim that Darkness as ours too! You can't come in here to take it!" The green eyed being shot wide eyed stares back and forth between Dane and the blue eyed being until Dane laughed heartily.

"What's so funny? You doubt our claim calling ownership of something?!" the blue eyed being growled. The green eyed being became worried, remembering the feeling that always seemed to hang around this human. That feeling wasn't here, but perhaps he was just hiding it somewhere and would use it on them. They had both seen how easily he had torn through those other beings with the purple eyes.

"No no, I am not doubting that. But I don't think you can claim ownership of the Darkness in its entirety. It exists everywhere. Even within our very presence, it exists. It may very well exist in your Guwaru's forest." The blue eyed being backed down from the hostile stance taken, raising an eyebrow and speaking low to the green eyed being.

"This human is strange." Dane chuckled once more and held a hand out to them.

"You beings are equally strange I would say. You are so much more than a mass of pain and anger. And I would very much like to visit with this Guwaru you speak of." The beings looked to each other. They had always scared humans away for a good laugh, but now one of them was talking to them and even asking to meet someone they held in authority, despite their dislike of him.

"Come here tomorrow." The blue eyed being said sharply, turning and floating back into the forest, followed soon after by the green eyed being.

"What are you doing?!"

"That human is meddling so much here and he's no fun! If we bring Guwaru, perhaps he can scare him away."

* * *

"Now what is this about meeting someone you two? I cannot be away from the forest too long you know." Guwaru grunted, his arms creaking with each movement he made.

"It's a weird human that has moved into the forest. He's chased us and swatted at us calling us monsters!" the blue eyed being snickered.

"Yeah! He even said that he'd send a bunch of other humans after us if we stopped him!" the green eyed being added.

"And what was he doing that he would chase you?" Guwaru asked, his raspy, gravelly voice echoing for a while leaning over to better look the two of them in the eye. The green eyed being stuttered, trying to come up with a reason.

"He was… he was…"

"He was cutting down trees to burn them for his camp fires!" the blue eyed being shouted. The blue light within Guwaru's being and his eyes faded to red.

"I see. What was this human's name?"

"I think he called himself Dane."

"Then I shall see this human and put a stop to it!" he hissed floating off in the direction the two beings had pointed him where this human was going to be. It didn't take him long to find the clearing where the human was, parting the trees with his wide body speaking with a loud note.

"Dane! You dare come into the forests and cut them down for your mere fires?!" Guwaru thundered.

"Fires? Why would I be cutting down your forests for fires? Yes, I have burned some wood, but only that of fallen branches or trimmings."

"Are you not the human I was to stop here?"

"I was to meet a forest Guardian by the name of Guwaru. Are you he?" Dane asked with confused optimism.

"I am Guwaru. Have you not been torturing my charges? The forest spirits of north and south?" Dane raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Torturing forest spirits? I would wish no such thing! I am merely here to better understand the Darkness." The red from Guwaru faded back to a calm blue color as he looked over his shoulder to the two beings peeking out from behind a tree just outside of the light.

"Then you are the famed White Mage correct?"

"Yes. What is going on here?" Dane asked with a degree of agitation.

"I must apologize White Mage. It seems that I was misled. Now, what is it that you wish to speak to me about? My time is limited." Guwaru replied staunchly as he turned his attention back to Dane.

"I had hoped that I would be able to glean some knowledge from you as to what those two beings are. But in the confusion, I have found my answer." Dane smiled. Guwaru did nothing, simply stared at him.

"I also hoped that I could perhaps try to understand what the difference is between them and the creatures that seem to stem from Darkness itself." Guwaru grunted, holding his hands across from one another as images appeared between them.

"As I said, they are the forest spirits of the north and south, two amongst tens of thousands that exist in Usoria. At the beginning, the Great Mother Minerna created many, many beings to inhabit this world and planted them to await the call to be awakened when the time came. Many of these being still lay in wait for their calling within my forest. But when the Darkness descended as it did, these two were awakened by it and forever changed." The image shifted to blue and green transparent creatures with four stubby legs and small stubby spines on its head.

"This is how they were supposed to appear. But the Darkness changed them into what they are now. They aren't hateful creatures, but they are bothersome with the 'tricks' they play on any number of humans."

"Would extracting the Darkness change them back into what they were meant to be?" Dane asked.

"As I said, the Darkness as forever changed them. Others too have been touched by Darkness, but they weren't as fortunate to become the mischievous pests these two are. If the Darkness were to be extracted, I doubt they would ever truly be what they were meant to be."

"I am making some progress in my studies of the Darkness to find ways of ridding it from the world. But I fear that its power is growing faster than I and my Order can combat. Would you be able to lend me your assistance Great Guwaru?"

"I have done my best to keep the Darkness away from the creatures within my forest and it is taking all of my power to do so. I fear that one day my power will not be enough to keep them safe but until then, I cannot leave my forest to give you the assistance you require. I do know two who can however." Guwaru growled, looking back to the blue and green eyed beings.

"I would appreciate any help that I can have."

"Then so be it. I must return to my forest. I await your findings, White Mage. You two will assist the White Mage in any way that he sees fit as punishment for your misbehavior." Guwaru grumbled, disappearing through the brush. The green and blue eyed beings begrudgingly came forward into the light.

"What does that mean?" the Green eyed being asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Dane answered.

"When you were talking to Guwaru, you called us 'beings'. What does it mean?" Dane put a hand to his mouth for a moment, thinking long and hard about how he would answer the question.

"It means… It means to feel, to experience existence. To stand on your own and recognized the world around you; to feel the world around you."

"How can we stand on our own when we have no feet like you human?" the blue eyed being asked sarcastically.

"To stand on one's own does not mean literally to stand. It is a metaphor, a representation of being independent. Though having one's own feet does tend to change the perspective." Dane smiled.

"We also don't have hands, or face, or squishy bits for that matter." The green eyed being added.

"I suppose that all of those things can make the world appear to be different to someone like me. Would you like to know what the world is like through human eyes? Do you desire a human form?" Dane asked. The words of Guwaru came back to him, stating how the Darkness had forever changed these spirits. Perhaps then it would be a simple matter of changing them into humans from this aura-like form. He had learned a great deal of transmutation magic. Coupled with his alchemic teachings from his days in Margata, he was certain he could do it.

"Would it hurt at all?" the blue eyed being asked.

"I cannot say, as this would be the first I have ever attempted something like this."

"What are we waiting for! That sounds like fun! Let's do it!" the green eyed being shouted excitedly.

"However, there is something that I must ask of you in return."

"What is it?" the green eyed being asked.

"You two have been affected by Darkness and as such have a very different view of it. I want you to help me understand and explore the Darkness."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, now make us into a human! Oh! And make us look the same since we always like to be together." the green eyed being exclaimed, bobbing up and down in the air. Dane laughed quietly at the green eyed being's excitement.

"You are going to need names if you are going to be human. I can't keep calling you 'green eyed being' or 'blue eyed being'."

"What's a name?" the blue eyed being asked.

"It is a way to identify you. Another way of 'standing on your own'."

"You humans are all so weird. You have so many things to make sure that you can all 'stand on your own'. It's so confusing." Dane chuckled. Perhaps there were many things that humans did that were quite redundant. But it would be interesting to teach these beings the meaning and nuances of being human.

"How about this, your name from now on shall be Lotus." Dane stated, motioning to the blue eyed being.

"And yours shall be Orchid." He said, motioning towards the green eyed being.

"Such pretty flower names. I like them. Would you agree? L-lotus?" Orchid asked. Lotus said nothing, slowly nodding approval.

"Then welcome into the company of the Order of Aurora, Lotus and Orchid."


	11. ST - Chapter 10: Encroaching

Chapter 10: Encroaching

Enariel and the other Aurora members being less than thrilled with Dane's choice to bring Orchid and Lotus into the cottage. Enariel alone argued with him for almost an hour.

"I thought you said you wanted to find a way to extract the Darkness from the world? Not invite it in!"

"Enairel, Orchid and Lotus are not creatures made from Darkness. They were once beings of the forest that were changed by the Darkness. You cannot fault them for something that was not of their doing." Dane calmly replied.

"They are strongly affected by Darkness none the less! You said it takes all you have magically just to keep the small vials of Darkness from affecting you. You would bring beings such as them into your very presence? Don't you see how dangerous that is?" Pharamund nodded and added his own worries.

"Enariel is right Master. Beings like this could affect you in ways that you haven't yet seen. They could even affect the Darkness you have acquired or worse yet, become infected by it and become the very creatures we combat." Dane sighed, putting his palms together and resting his chin on his thumbs

"I believe I can extract the Darkness from these beings. That done I can then have a better understanding of the Darkness. It is so complex that a hundred life times would pass by studying it from afar. Orchid and Lotus have firsthand experience with it and can offer a better view then I would ever be able to discover on my own."

"You're talking about creatures that could very well be the same that are attacking people everywhere!" Enariel snapped in return.

"Guwaru himself has assured me that these two are not like the others. I have an inclination to believe him." Dane answered.

"Guwaru? Who is Guwaru?" Enariel asked. She knew very well who he was, also well aware that sometimes the old forest guardian could act petulant towards those that disturbed him of his peace. It made her wonder if Guwaru was merely looking for a way to rid himself of these being's antics.

"Guwaru is and Ancient Forest Guardian charged with keeping many sleeping creatures safe from the Darkness. He is beside the point: Orchid and Lotus have agreed to help me understand the Darkness in full. It will still take time, but I will understand it far quicker." Dane explained. Pharamund and Enariel looked to the two floating balls of aura. Xenos and Mars had been called to the northern cities of Victarani and wouldn't be back for almost a month; James was busy fending off the shadow creatures and Vieren and his wife were out gathering herbs and supplies.

With none of the other members within the cottage there would be no way to decide on an action. Pharamund suggested that for the time being they could stay in the main hall until the rest of the members present. Enriel begrudgingly agreed with Pharamund, her own thoughts on the matter suppressed for the time being.

When the creatures learned of their being able to stay with them for a time, Orchid seemed to be the most enthused about it. Lotus, while showing a level of happiness, seemed more worried or agitated about the situation. Almost instantly, Orchid began to press Dane to make them both humans, often disappointed as Dane would have to quell her eagerness for time to prepare and question them.

"You said once that you had categorized the Darkness you have found?" Lotus asked as he watched Dane work.

"Yes, however the more that I study, the more complex versions of the Darkness I find. I have cataloged over 200 shades of Darkness…" Orchid's laughter cut him off in mid-sentence.

"What is so funny Orchid?" he asked, stopping his writing and turning to face them.

"Haim was right. You humans makes this so much more complicated than it really needs to be. The Darkness itself only stems from one place, Right?" Orchid asked.

"Yes, but how…" Lotus swept into his field of vision, cutting him off.

"You're making things complicated again human. Just listen and you might find the answers you're looking for." Lotus growled. Dane looked back to Lotus hard, surprised that he would speak to him in s such a tone. Dane relaxed his posture, waiting for Lotus to continue.

"You said yourself this Darkness comes from the concentration of human's unresolved negative emotions after they die, right?"

"That is correct." Dane replied, fighting his urge to ask more questions. Orchid floated over to them, pushing Lotus out of the way a bit.

"And how do humans get these negative emotions?" Orchid pressed.

"Through the wounding of the human spirit over the course of one's life." Dane answered. Lotus nodded as he continued.

"Precisely. That pain then manifests in a way that you humans understand: emotion. However, this pain will show only a few select emotions. Four in fact: Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness. There are many different ways these four emotions manifest, but these are the fundamental basics. After that, as you have found, if not taken care of, they devolve into the Darkness we know today." Dane lowered his brow, looking back to the shelves of bottles containing all the samples of Darkness he had gathered.

"Then all these shades of Darkness that I have been finding..."

"They are the definitions of events that led to these manifestations. You need to find the root, and the tree will topple." Lotus answered, his blue eyes narrowing as though he were smiling. Dane had more questions for them, but there was a mutual understanding that they would provide more if he kept his promise to make them human.

Enariel watched for a few days as the three of became lost in a world of their own, exchanging information for a favor. The new information from the beings allowed him to make great stride, greater strides it seemed when Enariel was near him. But there was also the fear of the coming disaster she saw in her Mirror of Time. Even when she forced herself to 'widen her gaze' as the Monks of Red had told her to do, she could still not see who or what caused the disaster to avoid it. Dane seemed so close to a solution yet the disaster would still not dissipate.

"Enariel? What is troubling you? Your spirit seems heavy these last few weeks." Mars asked after returning from a particularly short request in the south.

"I fear there is something coming that will tear this world apart." Enariel replied, watching as Dane would jot down something in his Journal while speaking with Lotus and Orchid about some aspect of Darkness.

"I'm sure that the master will find the answer and rid the Darkness from the world once and for all. And he has you beside him milady. If anyone should have faith in his abilities, I would think it would be you above all." Mars said. Enariel smiled sadly to herself and nodded. She still had not told the others of whom she really was. Perhaps she had been in this form for too long and it was beginning to affect her in ways that she hadn't foreseen.

"Dane, I fear that I must return to my body for a while. There are some troubling things that I have seen and I wish to study them. I shan't be gone long." She announced one day, coming into his study and draping her arms over his shoulders. Dane ceased writing, turning in his chair and putting his arms around her waist, pulling her to him as he rested his head against her stomach, saddened by the news. He knew somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind that she would return as she had before. Still, it would be different to not have her there for the time being.

"It will be lonely without you here. You've given me so much of my life back; I don't know how I could be without your presence." Enariel sighed, pulling his hands from around her back and sitting next to him.

"There is something that I must find out. I will be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, please tell the others that I am in a deep meditation if they ask." Dane sighed and nodded his understanding, carrying her to their bed, laying her down softly before kissing her deeply, lacing his fingers into hers. He would miss her, but he held to the hope that he would see her again soon, pulling away from her lips enough to speak.

"I love you, Enariel, my goddess in disguise."

"And I you, White Mage." With one final kiss, Ariel called her mind back to her real body taking a moment to be reacquainted with its movements, its strength and weight. It was almost as if the life she led with Dane was real, and this was a dream. Not wanting to waste time he enlisted the help of the Knights of the Temple, retraining herself to walk to her Mirror of Time.

When she peered into its polished surface, the disaster she saw was still there in the time stream. There was also the small glimmer of hope she saw that would turn away this disaster. It seemed even smaller now than she remembered; there was almost no chance of her convincing Dane to let another rid the world of the Darkness.

"There has to be some way to avoid this disaster _._ " Ariel muttered to herself, staring long and hard into the mirror when the voice of a Monk of the Blue interrupted her thoughts.

"There might be a way to do so Goddess. But it is a path that may bestow you with more regret than you can afford." Ariel jolted a bit, turning to the Monk while crossing her arms over his stomach.

"And how would I do that my dear Monk?" she asked as the monk removed his mask and lifted an eyebrow.

"Introduce another to this timeline. One that could take up the mantle your Dane has laid out for himself and could take time on another path. I warn you again, this path may grant you more regret then you can afford." Ariel sighed, reaching out and touching the mirror to introduce this new concept. Almost instantly, time became split appearing as two roads; one road led to war and disaster, the other to peace and triumph.

"That could very well work Monk. Thank you for helping me see."

"I must once again warn you goddess, the regret that will come from this…"

"If it means the survival of all of Usoria then I will bear the regret." Ariel cut in. The Monk nodded his understanding and put his mask on, returning to his portion of the temple. Ariel became excited with this new direction: finally, a clear way of avoiding the disaster all together lay before her. The only task remaining was finding someone that could be introduced to take up this mantle. From the present into the future just before the splitting paths she searched for such a person, but no such person existed.

There were single needed traits existing in a multitude of people. But when she tested how those people would interreact if brought together, even under the best conditions the path led to the disaster she tried to avoid. No, this would need to be done by one person and one person alone; one with the understanding of a mortal but the power of a deity.

* * *

When Enariel fell limp, Dane carefully pulled the covers over her casting a spell of preservation. Even being a created shell, it would no doubt suffer the same effects of a human if left for a long period of time. To try and stay his mind of the gnawing solitude, he began working in earnest to make Lotus and Orchid human. Even with the prospect for new information, Enariel's absence made the work feel slow and old.

Two weeks passed as Dane gathered materials and information from Margata to perform the transmutation. The process was similar to Dr. Long's experiment all those years ago, only Dane's wouldn't involve inorganic matter.

"Are you finally ready?" Orchid asked, looking wide-eyed at the larger painted circle on the ground sporting symbols and letters.

"Almost. There are still a few questions I have for you once we are done." Dane stated when Lotus scoffed.

"Don't worry human. We won't be going anywhere any time soon. I am beginning to find you as interesting as you find us." Dane nodded to Lotus's declaration, stepping inside the circle and writing out a Dark Alchemy circle. As he wrote it, he paused, contemplating part of the formula. If he wrote it out with the current iteration, the formula could amplify the Darkness within them and twist what these beings had become. With some quick calculations Dane changed the circle to only break down these being's energy-based existence and restructure it as organic flesh and blood.

As he wrote, memories came back to him of when he and Menodora had helped prepare this same circle within the Great Circle of Margata. The memories didn't bring with them any pain as they usually did, but there was that ever-nagging knot of loneliness that never left him. A wave of fatigue washed over him as the thought remided him of Enariel's absence, interrupted when Orchid tapped his shoulder with her stubby arm.

"Now are you ready?" she pressed. Dane quickly scrawled the last of the circle, nodding with a smirk and holding out his hand for them to enter the circle.

"Remember, we want to look the same!" Orchid said as Dane set his hands on the transmutation circle. Light domed around Lotus and Orchid, humming with a low resonance.

"I remember." Dane answered, shifting the positioning of his hands as the reaction intensified. Swirls of energy pulsated, crossing around and through the two of them. With another shift of his hands, the Dark circle faded to life. Darker swirls of energy passed through them, slowly diffusing their form.

"Human Dane, what are you doing?" demanded Lotus, his eyes moving with panicked excitement as he and Orchid were simply disappearing.

"Think of this as a cocoon. You will be alright." Dane answered, shifting the positioning of his fingers as their form completely diffused and their eyes began to fade.

"Lotus, I'm scared." Orchid called when both of them faded into nothing but swirls of energy. Dane shifted his fingers once more, beginning the process of making their bodies; fraternal twins. Skeletons formed, overlaid with organs, muscle structure, and finally skin. In the last few moments of the reaction, resentful whispers began to hiss over the noise of the reaction. Dane intensified his focus on the reaction trying to block them out when a cloud of black swirling within the reactions appeared. Time slowed to a near standstill; Dane watched as the particles of energy within the circle inched by while high pitched ringing stabbed his ears. Dust kicked up hung in a thick cloud all around him when eyes opened within the cloud.

"So, you dare to attempt that which is forbidden?" a voice asked as the cloud appeared to rear and approach Dane.

"It is a promise that I made in exchange to understand the Darkness…"

"To understand me you mean." The cloud replied, cutting Dane off.

" _You_ are the Darkness?"

"Yes and no. I am a part of it, a part that is within everyone. You seek to create a life, _two_ lives no less. This is the doing only of gods and mothers. You are neither."

"I may not be a god, but I have found the power."

"No, you aren't even close. You've found the means to create a body, nothing more."

"You speak false!" Dane jabbed as the cloud seemed to tilt to the side, almost mocking him.

"Do I? Tell me then, White Mage. What do you see here?" the cloud asked, turning slightly as if motioning towards Lotus and Orchid.

"Two beings about to become twin human children." Dane answered. The cloud's eyes became lines as if he had closed them, both of them weaving back and forth within its form.

"Look closer White Mage. What do you _see_." Dane was puzzled. Looking closer at the twin's bodies and the mass of swirling energy around them that was… no, it couldn't be.

"There is no life." Dane whispered.

"Exactly, White Mage. You used up the energy your pets were made of to create these two, pulling the elements together, stitching together flesh and blood. But the life you wish to give them isn't there."

"That can't be. My research…"

"Is flawed, human. You lack _power_. Even these adamant strength circles lack the ability to ignite the flame of life within them. Their memories will all be there, but they will only be able to watch as they fade from existence." Dane's heart began to pound in his ears; the mere thought of failure terrified him.

"No…"

"You have only managed to kill when you tried to create."

"No!"

"Menodora should know this best of all." The shadow hissed. Dane looked up at the cloud from under his long hair, his bright intelligent blue eyes dark and livid.

"You _dare_ speak her name?" Dane seethed. The cloud laughed with ethereal echoes, snapping its attention back to him.

"Yes, I dare. But look to the twins once again." The cloud prodded. Dane turned his attention to them and for a brief moment even within this idle movement, there was a plume of blue flame. It burned out within a moment, but it had been there.

"What was that?" Dane asked, though still fuming about the mention of Menodora.

"That was their life force sparking. That is the true power of the Darkness. Of Dark Alchmey. Your Darkness sparked that life. Darkness may be the concentration of so much pain, but when focused through a single emotion, it can grant one unimaginable power. It can even create a god."

"How can this be? Darkness is causing the death of so many. Creatures are spawning whose only whim is death and destruction." The cloud swirled and charged Dane, inches from his face where hundreds of whispers just shy of inaudible could be heard.

"Have you heard nothing White Mage? Darkness must be focused through a _SINGLE_ emotion. The creatures that come to life are tormented by a myriad of emotions, unable to find focus. But you, you could use the Darkness to do anything. You have the training and mental fortitude to focus it."

"Why would I attempt something so dangerous? The gain in power may be great, but the chance for corruption is far too high. Even my experiments in containing a small bit of Darkness nearly drives me to an emotional break." The cloud laughed and backed away enough so that he could see Lotus and Orchid clearly.

"That is up to you. I grant you the use of the Darkness within these two, myself, to make your promise come true. Or you can let them die here and now." Dane looked from the cloud to the twins, warring within himself. Enariel would no doubt have none of him using Darkness as a power source, even less so Menodora if she were alive. But he had two lives hanging by a thread in his hands. He couldn't just extinguish life.

"What must I do." Dane asked, hanging his head in acceptance. The cloud's eyes smirked.

"All you must do is hold out your hand and accept. Think of only one emotion, it matters not, and channel me through that emotion while thinking of what you want to happen. The rest will happen on its own."

"And how do I know that my using you will not corrupt me?"

"You don't, White Mage. Your will alone will determine your ability to resist its pull. But resisting it, means that its power will be out of reach to you." Dane sighed, hesitating slightly before holding out his hand. The cloud's eyes smirked as it was pulled into his palm as a slimy mass. Resisting the shiver from the texture, Dane thought back to his happiest moment with Menodora, hanging on to that one emotion as hard as he could. Channeling the Darkness through that happy emotion was challenging. Time gained its speed once more as he thought of what he wanted to happen until at last time was moving normally again. A surge of power more potent than he had ever felt rushed through him. It almost hurt as the power surged down his arms into the circles leaving him with an adrenalin rush and goose bumps.

A flame burst to life within the chests of the twins as the energy surrounding the twins gradually subsided, melting into their bodies while drifting to the ground. Once the light of both circles faded, the twins lay still on the grass of the forest. Dane looked to his palms, amazed at the sheer volume of power he had just felt as new theories came to mind.

"That's it!" he whispered to himself when he heard a stirring. Lotus was the first to open his sapphire blue eyes, turning his head this way and that. He tried and move, but he only floundered in his position. Dane abandoned his thoughts, going to Lotus and helping him sit up. The new body was that of a male child no older than ten. Short white hair sat upon his head with a lean but athletic form.

Orchid soon followed, her body of a girl with longer white har and emerald green eyes. She whimpered as though she tried to speak, becoming panicked when she couldn't move. Dane again helped her sit up, propping both of them against a nearby rock and beginning to teach them how to speak and move their new bodies, the two of them walking within hours. Orchid especially seemed to like her new form, relishing the feel of the grass between her toes. Once Dane was sure they would be alright with James to watch them, he returned to his room and began to quickly write in his journal.

" _In making Lotus and Orchid into human children, I have found that there is something more to the Darkness than I realized. I was confronted by a small part of it that had altered the twins and was told that I could harness it as power. I was skeptical at first, but after using it to create the twins, I feel I have finally found a way to rid the world of the Darkness. I thought before that the ultimate light, found in love, would be the only key. Now, I think I have found a much more potent light. And to do that, I must find the Ultimate Darkness. For from the Ultimate Darkness, can the Ultimate Light be found!_ " The table hummed as his pen rasped across the grain of his desk, sounding higher and higher in pitch the faster he wrote.

" _Tomorrow I will experiment with this concept in small amounts. Perhaps if used in small amounts, I can avoid the problems of corruption and infection by the Darkness itself._ "


	12. ST - Chapter 11: Salvation

Chapter 11: Salvation

Days passed without Dane's realization. He had become so engrossed in his recent discovery that he hardly noticed Enariel's absence. Despite the help of Lotus and Orchid, progress felt slow. Progress was further halted as he and the other clerics of the order battled back the creatures, named Omens, with renewed expediency. Mars and Xenos had found love themselves, further empowering them. Pharamund and James still struggled, becoming accomplished members of the order in other ways. They found their strengths in experimentation and exploration, further helping Dane with his research at the cottage.

The concept of the Ultimate Darkness however eluded Dane. Dane and the twins eventually devised that Ultimate Darkness would with the culmination of sorrow and pain from an event in history. An event or time period in which hatred, grief, fear and malice reigned with near supremacy. While the twins wold be granted reprieves from helping Dane, Pharamund and James helped search dozens upon dozens of books chronicling history from the First Epoch when words were first written to the present in the 19th Epoch.

To speed up the search, Dane enlisted the help of the twins. As they read, a heavy book case Pharamund was climbing began to tilt. Pharamund jumped clear and called to the twins below it. Lotus looked up to see the shelf falling on top of them, throwing up his hand. Orchid covered her head, appearing across the room away from the shelf. Lotus braced himself for impact, but when nothing happened he looked up in awe to see the shelf and books all floated in the air around him. Dane took over, righting the shelf and putting the books back leaving Lotus and Orchid stunned, unsure of what had happened until Dane explained.

"It appears that in your human form, you have awakened your powers from your forest spirit days."

"Powers? Like what?" Orchid asked enthusiastically.

"For instance, your ability to teleport or Lotus' ability for telekinesis." Orchid's eyes became wide with excitement, clenching her fists and dancing from one foot to the other.

"That sounds like so much fun! What else can I do? Can you teach me?" She demanded.

"Ya, that sounds like so much fun." Lotus chimed. Dane breathed slowly, unsure what he could teach them as they were originally creatures of the forest no doubt capable of feats easily outmatching anything Dane could accomplish. Perhaps he could help them rediscover their powers, in turn helping him to further his own knowledge of magic.

"I can only assume you have powers and abilities beyond what I could ever teach you. You must simply remember you have them." Both of them thought through his words for a moment.

"You mean we could be more powerful than you?" Lotus asked, a dark smirk in his voice.

"There is the possibility. You two were originally forest spirits, no doubt with the intent of helping Guwaru."

"That stuffy old dried up stump?!" Orchid exclaimed.

"Yes, the very same." Dane smiled, laughing to himself at her reaction.

"Then how should we go about finding our powers? Should we just go about it carelessly and hope that we don't kill ourselves? Or can you teach us?" Lotus asked, still having the same dark smirk in his voice.

"I can attempt to teach you what I know. But for now, let's keep searching through history." The twins disappointedly read on, periodically trying to make books float or turn the pages without touching them.

Dane's thirst for finding Depictions of human history at its worst brought him more than he was prepared for. The Elfin Hunts: elfin kind slaughtered by the thousands, driven to the point of near annihilation in hopes of finding magic by 'extracting' it from them. Now there were only the few that remained at the bottom of Haim's tree. It was there they found sanctuary and protection by the himself. If elves had any resentment towards humans, they did a very fine job of hiding it.

The Darlaus Crusades; campaigns to fight in a bloody war against any, human or not, that opposed or refused to convert to the church of the Great Mother Minerna. These crusades only stopped when Minerna herself came and disintegrated the High Deacon. She declared that any and all who used force such as these again would be met with the same fate, resulting in the shift to the present teachings.

The Cleansing; A systematic eradication of Fairies who were seen as threats when humans began moving into their forests. Now only legends and tales remained of the once playful race.

The Mage Gatherings; a decade long tremendous failure that brutally forced kidnapped children to learn magic. This practice often resulted in their deaths due to the forced mishandling of magical energies and spells left behind by elves and fairies. Only when a few surviving children rose up and rebelled did the gatherings stop.

And finally, The Battle of the Ragonian Slave Trade; After three decades of the practice going unchecked, Empress Victoria of the 6th Epoch decreed that all the slaves were to be freed and returned to their homes at the expense of the owners. When this wasn't abided, the Empress sent in her forces to ensure that if nothing else, the Ragonians would be returned to their homeland. Instead of a joyous release, every owner throughout Usoria killed every single man, woman, and child Ragonian.

When the owners were brought before the Empress to answer for their atrocity, their only reply was their unwillingness to 'waste hard-earned money on sending some menial chattel home. A burial would be cheaper'. The Empress imprisoned them all, stripping their families of their money, houses, land and status. A well-protected grave site now stands at the base of the Zakuman Mountains in the north west region of Al Neth.

Dane sat in silence as he read over the Slave Trade account, the air becoming heavy around him. Some of the accounts of this era were from angry prisoners jailed for their seeming 'economic assistance' they provided to the world. With each word Dane read, he struggled to keep despair and rage from burning out of control. This particular event was only found because it was given as payment to Pharamund after cleansing a band of Omens.

He closed the book, setting it on his desk and walked to the window watching the construction of the new Aurora Chapel underway. Looking back to the book, Dane thought back to when he had first begun this journey, talking with his father Maxus.

" _You said that this research would take you to some very dark places. So far it seems that you haven't even touched on them._ "

" _The dark places that I spoke of do exist Maxus, I was only too raptured in the Light Menodora and I created I didn't want them to exist. Now the world is becoming all the darker and I am forced to see it as it truly is, and what contributed to it._ " Knowing of the darkest sides of humanity, he could begin searching for the Ultimate Darkness. Through it he could harness its power into the Ultimate Light. First, he would have to visit the areas of these atrocities. There he could best understand it.

* * *

Ariel watched her Mirror for what seemed like only minutes, realizing that many days had passed on earth. She cursed herself for loosing track of time which flowed much differently in the temple. She would need to hurry to find this person that could take Dane's place. The thought made her pull her arms around herself and imagine that she was back in her vessel in Usoria with Dane. She pulled her arms tighter imagining that he held her close and kissed her neck as he stood behind her. She missed that; she missed him.

She thought back to the previous months, walking to the Hall of the Green and watching the memories she had made. It was a rough journey to be sure, but the two of them had built a love out of that journey. She would do anything to ensure that Dane would stay safe. As if light filled her mind, an idea began to take root.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of this before!" she thought, returning to the mirror and applying this new thought to see what may happen. As before, the two paths of time still existed, but the way to peace and triumph seemed even more possible than before. There was however a problem that would make the entire idea moot if not resolved.

"Goddess Ariel, what has you troubled so?" A Monk of the Green asked, reaching up and removing his smiling mask.

"Good Monk, tell me. Can a mortal be brought to the Temple of Time?" The monk thought for a while, holding his chin as he thought until a Monk of the Blue came up and removed his mask.

"Bringing a mortal to the Temple would mean their certain death. Mortals are bound by time, and as you know, time is very different here. A hundred years could pass in Usoria and it would be but the passing of a few minutes to us. Mortals are bound by the time of Usoria; there is no way around that." Ariel cradled her chin in hand, staring hard at the mirror of time once again.

"There has to be." Ariel said.

"What is this that I hear about you wanting to bring a Mortal to this temple?" a firm but kind voice asked. Ariel turned around to see her mother Minerna walking towards her, shifting her massive white wings behind her. The monks immediately donned their masks and bowed low.

"Mother!" Areil said happily running and wrapping her arms around her.

"It is good to see you as well my child. Now, as I asked, what is this I hear about bringing a mortal to the Temple of Time?" Minerna asked as Ariel stepped back and motioned towards the mirror where time split into two paths.

"Have you found a way of eliminating this Disaster in its entirety?" she asked while looking over the Mirror more closely. Ariel shook her head with a heavy sigh.

"With every action I introduced, I would only accelerate or delay the disaster. Now I have a chance to avert it." Minerna turned to Ariel, pulling her lips to the side with an understanding smirk.

"And this aversion requires a mortal, does it not?" Ariel nodded her head, walking to the mirror beside Minerna.

"Yes. The path to peace requires introducing another to take up ridding the world of Darkness, and she or he would be that person." Ariel pointed back to the mirror where a boy and a girl with silvery blond hair dressed in form fitting white robes stood before the split in time. Lowering her brow, Minerna put her gaze back on the mirror.

"I'm sorry Ariel, but I fail to see what a mortal has to do with these children."

"One of these children you see will be my child. I have been spending a lot of time with a human by the name of Dane…"

"The White Mage?" asked Minerna, raising an eyebrow.

"You know of him?" Ariel asked in surprise. Minerna smirked knowingly and chuckled softly.

"I may not visit often, but it does not mean I haven't been keeping an eye on my children or the happenings of Usoria." Minerna grinned slyly, stepping away from the mirror.

"So, The White Mage has won you over has he? I see he has been studying very intently how to rid the world of the Darkness."

"Which is why this plan MUST work. I cannot bare to see Dane destroy himself because of this task. The problem lies in my child having the needed abilities; my body must be the one impregnated, not the vessel I have been using." Ariel explained. Minerna walked to a balcony overlooking the world far below them as Minerna continued Ariel's thought.

"But in order for that to happen, he would need to be brought here where he might die due to the difference in Time's flow compared to Usoria as his life is bound to that time. Contrastingly, going down there would mean dire consequences for the world." Ariel nodded sadly until Minerna chuckled.

"Then there is no other choice; you must form a contract with him." Ariel was stunned. How could her mother, the Supreme Goddess of all of Usoria or The Great Mother as the Usorians called her, be perfectly calm about her wanting to have a child with a mortal?

"M-mother?"

"Form a contract with him. Think of it like getting married to put it human terms." Minerna crossed her arms with a very matter of fact stare.

"Bu..but how would that..."

"A contract with you would allow your White Mage to come here without any repercussions, giving him a small portion of your power while he is here to withstand your presence and the difference in Time's flow."

"Aren't you a little concerned that I've fallen in love with him? With a mortal?" Ariel expected a harsh speech of how deities and mortals should never even have such a relationship to begin with. Instead she was being encouraged to pursue it.

"There are some things that I find concerning, chiefly that he _is_ human. However, I can see how this human brought you out of the depression you fell into. You also brought him out of his own dark days. You both were each other's salvation." Ariel grinned widely and bowed deeply before running to Minerna and hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, mother. I will tell him immediately." She said, sprinting back to her room where she could once again use her body far below. Minerna could only smile as she watched her daughter sprint off with the news. The smile soon faded as she looked back into the Mirror of Time. Ariel's plan would bring the peace she so eagerly wanted. But as the Monks of the Blue had stated, there would be a monumental cost of regret and sorrow to come. She was so blind to whom the progenitor of the conflict was to begin with.

" _Ariel, my sweet daughter, I can only hope that your heart won't be the death of you._ " Minerna thought, turning to a Monk of the Red and whispering something to him before vanishing back to her home.

* * *

Dane and Mars exited the coach they hired with silent reverence, leaving instructions to wait for their return. For a long while, Mars kept silent as they trekked over the barren lands serving as a monument of the Darlaus Crusades. The site of a mass grave for millions that perished in the name of a deity. Every weed, flower or blade of grass had been stripped from the ground, never to grow making the air heavy and stale. Finally, Mars could no longer keep his silence.

"Master, are you certain that coming here was the best option? The Omens are strong in their own right. But you are about to step to the very center of something far more powerful. Omen would not even be a strong enough word for it." Dane stopped and turned to Mars, his face sallow and down trodden.

"Sites of atrocities such as these hold the greatest and blackest of Darkness. If I am to overcome all darkness, I must know how to overcome the strongest parts." Mars nodded in understanding, but there was still a great part of him that didn't want to proceed. Despite this, he forced himself to follow until they came near to the center of the field. With a gentle tap of his staff, a wave of pale blue light shot over the ground. A massive shadow began to pull from the ground. Runes and lines of purple light pulsed to life on its body. With the sound of cracking stone, its eyes opened, instantly focusing on Dane.

"Why do you disturb me?" the shadow asked, its slow voice deep and breathy. Mars shifted his feet uncomfortably, adjusting the grip on his staff while the color faded from his face.

"I have come to release you of your torment." Dane replied, remaining still and facing it with stern bravery.

"Release me? You dare assume to that you can sate my anguish?"

"I can attempt to understand. In doing so, I can heal the wounds left behind by what has happened…"

"You know not of the pain and mourning that is my very being. You who have lost nothing." The shadow interrupted. Dane's pulse quickened and his throat tightened.

"I _have_ lost greatly, and I was able to overcome that loss in finding one that could help me. In turn I come to help you." The shadow lowered itself, training a large eye on Dane before narrowing.

"You are one of they who site Minerna. You are one of they that ordained the reason I exist." The shadow growled, its fingers curling and digging through the ground to form fists. Mars shifted his footing, training his staff forward until Dane put up his arm and shook his head to him.

"I may site Minerna, but I have come not in her name to vanquish you. I come on behalf of the people that still live here in this world, to heal you." The shadow slammed its hand down and roared. Black streams washed over Dane and Mars, instantly bringing them to their knees sobbing uncontrollably. Their flesh became rough with bumps making their limbs refuse to move as their hearts raced, threatening to burst out of their chests.

"You claim to have dominion over me yet you refuse to know the depths that drive me. I am more than the fear and hatred of those slaughtered by the Knights of Minerna. I am also the hatred, anguish and resentment harbored by those that lived after succumbing to the church's demands. I have been here for centuries and will not be sated until all those who claim the name of Minerna to be good are dead." Dane fought through the overpowering emotion within him, finally able to look up and face the shadow, barely able to speak through his sobs.

"And then what will you do? Once humanity has been cleansed of that which you despise, you will still exist and you will not be sated."

"Then I shall reach for she that is the cause of my pain!" The shadow growled, reaching to the sky with tattered claws.

"And then what?! What shall that accomplish?" Dane scolded. The shadow looked down to him slowly, narrowing his eyes to slits within his head.

"What of you? You claim the ability to heal the wounds within me, yet what will change? I am but one part of a problem that stems from the very nature of you humans." Dane willed himself to fight back against the sadness and fear racking his mind, pulling himself to his feet. Behind him, Mars lay on the ground weeping, unable to overcome the assault as his knees curled to his chest.

"And what nature would that be?" Dane asked, the dirt and ash clinging to his face creating trenches as the tears streamed down.

"The inherent need and perception of being better than another."

"There is some good in wanting to be better! I want to be better than I was yesterday!"

"Be that as it may, you can't deny that you also need to be better than those that came before you. You perceive yourself better than they. You need to be better than those around you. You perceive yourself better than those around you. You need to be better than what I am the culmination of. You perceive yourself better than I. As long as these two elements of humanity exist, there will always be those that will feel the backlash of that, furthering the problem you seek to remedy." The shadow put its hands to the ground and began pulling more of its body from it.

"I exist because thousands were slaughtered by those who perceived themselves better than those around them. The fear those poor individuals felt, the anguish, the pain, the tears, would never be resolved even as the life faded from them. And those that did remain, would harbor that pain until their dying breath, further feeding me. You claim to want to heal me, yet you refuse to see that you are no better than those that came before." Dane gripped his staff as hard as he could, light exploding from the top of it. The shadow instantly reeled, putting up its arms and hands howling in detest. Dane's tears and fear vanished allowing him to speak with a powerful note.

"I do not come here to vanquish, to belittle or to erase you from the past we humans have cultivated! I came to heal! Your pain, your existence is based in fear and grief. I am here to offer you the Ultimate Light of healing! Your suffering is ended!" Dane boomed, holding his staff forward as the light intensified making the Aurora Crystals blaze white. The Shadow tried to overcome this light, lunging to Dane when a beam of light shot from the staff, burrowing through it. Once again, the shadow howled in pain, reeling from the impact and once again reaching for him. Again, a blast of light erupted from the staff cutting through the shadow's arm, burning it from existence. With pain fueled rage, the shadow pushed past the light, biting down hard on Dane's hands and wrists still holding his staff.

Dane shrieked as the shadow's fangs began to burn his flesh. Dark colored muck weaved through his skin as though it were roots. Feelings of grief and fear began to infect his mind once more, bringing him to his knee.

"I will not be forgotten so easily!" the shadow seethed, clenching its jaw harder onto Dane's hands. Dane howled through clenched teeth as the shadows fanged burrowed further into his flesh.

"You will not! But I cannot leave you here to infest the world any longer!" Dane gathered what little mental fortitude he had left and ignited the staff again. Beams of light pushed through the creature's head and body until finally the creature turned to ash. Dane weakly dropped the staff, unable to maintain his grip as the inferno of pain racked his arms. Looking down, small veins of darkness reached up to the middle of his forearm. The holes in his hands where the shadow had bitten smoldered ash as blood fell onto the lap of his white garb.

" _Such power. Such pain. This was but one of the worst sites of human history. I don't have the strength to face another creature such as this. The Aurora could face the sites of these atrocities together, but that still would only solve a small part of the much greater problem. It took every last ounce of my will to overcome the emotions infecting me to simply stand. Facing Darkness of this magnitude head on isn't the answer. There has to be another way._ " But his thoughts were interrupted as his vision narrowed and his head became heavy.

With the creature gone Mars was finally able pull his face from the dirt in time to watch Dane fall over.

"Master!" he called, clawing his way to him as he tried to run. But when he reached him, Dane had already fallen unconscious. Tearing part of his robe, Mars bandaged his hands and tied the staves to his back. He then hoisted Dane over his shoulder and trekked back to the coach.

* * *

Dane awoke to the site of Enariel sitting next to him carefully pulling the dark substance from his arms and hands. Her hands glowed softly with light as the substance pulled from him, dissipating into ash.

"Enariel, when did you return?" Dane asked, squinting hard when he felt a wall of ache waft through his head.

"You've been unconscious for nearly a week. In that time, I've managed to pull out most of whatever infected your arms. I'm just pulling the last of it out now." She answered softly. Dane lifted his head, noting that the wounds where the Shadow's teeth had bitten him were healed, but left severe scars. His hands also appeared slightly gaunt and pale compared to the rest of his skin. Enariel took his hand into hers, running her thumb over the back.

"What did you do that would cause such a wound? I can't even fully heal your wounds." Dane put his head back down, dizzy from the motion.

"I went to the mass grave of the Darlaus Crusade. If I am to heal the world's Darkness, I wanted to know that I could face a much more powerful Darkness. I was scarcely able to keep myself from fully succumbing to its power. If I hadn't brought Mars with me, I don't think I would have survived." Enariel stopped her healing and leaned over him, putting her hands on either side of his head.

"You fool. You complete and beloved fool. Why must you attempt such dangerous tasks while I am not here? At least further the training of your followers to better assist you. Your life may not be something that you see as a rare thing, but I do. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Dane was about to answer when he felt the weighty pat of tears on his face. He focused on Enariel and in that moment, he wavered. Had he not been trying to save the world from this Darkness? It had been for Menodora and now it was for Enariel; what good would come if he were no longer able to share it with her? Weakly he reached up, struggling to curl his fingers and wipe her tears from her eyes.

"Does a goddess weep for me?" he asked, putting his hand to the side of her head. Enariel leaned into his touch before kissing his wrist.

"I care enough that I would form a Contract with you. On the surface here, I believe to call it marriage. I cannot be parted from you, and I would not want to be." Dane's strength of arm weakened but Enariel kept his hand upon her cheek with her own.

"I am a mortal. Even if you could, delaying or erasing my death from time would cause immense damage."

"This contract would do more than simply marry us. It would allow you to come to the Temple of Time where you can see me for who I truly am. Additionally, we could have a child with whom the key to defeating this Darkness once and for all would be." Dane smiled as warmth spread through his body. He had often wanted to ensure and solidify his relationship of Enariel in marriage. But the fact that she was a goddess with an avatar body kept him from ever perusing that path.

"But how would said contract be completed? Wouldn't that require that I come to your temple?"

"No; there is a small chapel to me in the city of Eline, the city at the base of Haim's tree. Inside the chapel there are six small columns on either side of the main hall. I will leave my contract within the third pillar on the right side. Speak my pseudo body's name and it will come out for you. Sign it and speak my true name and the contract will come to me. Climb Haim's tree and there will be a staircase at the top for you to climb where you can come to my temple." Dane smiled, his being shivering in apprehension and excitement. Ariel was the only deity he was as of yet unable to see directly. Now he would have a chance to do so for so many more reasons than simply information.

Three more days passed before Dane was strong enough to embark. With a word to the other Aurora members that he would be gone for some time, he left for Eline. Enariel left with him for a time before kissing him long and deep, her pseudo body disintegrating into the breeze. She would no longer need it as Dane would be able to come to her temple any time he wanted to see her.

The chapel had been easy enough to find, entering quietly so as not to disturb those that were in counsel or prayer. As he neared the column Enariel had told him of, a priest came up to him with a smile and a small bow.

"Hello friend. What troubles have you brought before Ariel? Do you require counsel?" the priest asked kindly. Dane chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Thank you but no Fatri. I come for something left by the Goddess herself."

"Do you mean the Scroll of The Past? It was left here by the goddess since the beginning of Ariel's order." The priest asked enthusiastically. Dane turned his attention to what appeared to be an anciently weathered parchment set into the hands of a statue of Ariel.

"No Fatri, what I seek is right here." Dane answered, motioning to the column before him.

"The column? I'm sorry to say but there are no inscriptions on it, nor has it been touched by the goddess." The priest adamantly explained.

"We shall see." Dane smirked, leaning in closer to the marble, whispering Enariel's name. The priest stared at Dane for a while ready to explain his position again when the marble of the column began to ripple. The people in the chapel caught sight of the light coming from it, instantly falling to their knees, whispering prayers in earnest. A young man near the front ran from the chapel shouting to the city of the divine sign given by the goddess herself. A delicately glowing scroll appeared from within it, dropping into Dane's hand leaving the flabbergasted priest stuttering for words.

"Ho-h-h-h-how di-did you…"

"As I said, this is something I am searching for left by the goddess herself." Dane set his staff aside, unfurling the fresh parchment revealing fine golden calligraphy explaining the extent of the contract that was to be made, ending with ' _I await you my love._ '

"Is this a contract of the goddess Ariel?" the priest asked. Dane sighed as he was reminded that he was among those that had very likely never seen a deity, or even realized that Haim walked among them.

"That it is Fatri." Dane answered, reaching into his cloak and pulling the quill from his journal, neatly singing his name across the bottom of the parchment: Dane Altoor, The White Mage. He carefully rolled it, holding it to his lips with a kiss before whispering Ariel's name watching as it vanished from his palm.

"Now if you will excuse me, I must be going. Thank you for your help Fatri." Dane smiled, placing a few coins in the priest's hand before leaving all having seen in awe-stricken silence. Two weeks passed before Dane reached the top of the tree where he was greeted by Haim with a congratulatory handshake. Dane found the golden staircase resting on one of the branches having only a few steps until he found himself on a polished marble floor surrounded by fountains of sand.

"Welcome to the Temple of Time, beloved of the goddess." A voice said making Dane snap his attention to a tall but slender person dressed in a green robe and white smiling mask.

"Hello there. I am Dane, the…"

"The White Mage. Yes, our goddess has spoken at length of you. Follow me. She eagerly awaits you." The monk held his hand. They were joined by two creatures made of breastplate armor, green fabric-like flames fluttering from the waist and plume of the helm. Dane made sure to take in everything around him, marveling at the fine detail and intricate simplicity of the entire building. When they neared a door, the monk stood aside for Dane to walk through.

With a breath to calm himself, he pushed the door open and entered. Before him was a room decorated with delicate white fabric. In the center was a circular bed where a young woman sat, brushing her red hair. Massive white wings spread from her back held as if encompassing her like a blanket. Her simple white dress came to her knees, folding over her shoulders in stunning sky blue.

"Ariel?" Dane called to catch her attention as the door was shut softly behind him. His voice made her set her brush down, turning to him and standing. The silver crown upon her head with set blue stones matched her ocean eyes, holding her hair to frame her young face.

"Dane. My love." She breathed, quickly walking to him and embracing him, pulling her wings around the both of them. Dane returned her embrace, still having not completely realized that this woman within his arms right now, was the very woman for so long he had come to love. All the same, it slowly became natural to him and the strangeness of it all faded away. He reached around her waist, pulling her firmly to him as he met her eyes and pressed his lips to hers.


	13. ST - Chapter 12: Life

Chapter 12: Life

Ariel became ecstatic to finally have met Dane in person, to hold him and physically, look into his eyes through her own and not some lens of a pseudo body. For Dane, it was more of an adjustment. Yes, he had known Ariel in her form in Usoria, but it was still quite the mental barrier to equate this goddess, a deity of time, to Enariel whom had known. Her delicate, angelic beauty did well to hide her daunting power.

After their initial meeting, Ariel took Dane by the hand and showed him her home explaining everything to him as they walked. The most prominent feature was The Gate of the Past. Three doors stood at the end of a hall made purely of magic appearing as thin lines as vine-like designs. The first door, colored green, was The Halls of Memory where every memory of every person was stored in countless hour glasses. Each grain of sand within the glasses was a memory of that person.

At the door and inside the hall stood Memory Knights; floating chest plates of armor and helmets sporting plumes of fabric-like green fire from the torso and helm. These hour glasses were tended by the Monks of the Green, clothed in full body robes with long sleeves, a white smiling mask covering their faces.

To the right of it was The Corridor of Regrets. Its door was blue while ice encroached up its pillars. Beyond the door was a library of every choice not taken that may have led to some other favorable outcome. It also housed every pending choice that could lead to personal loss, great or small, or have consequences that remained yet unseen.

This Corridor was guarded by the Qualm Knights, similar in appearance to the Memory Knights save for the plumes of blue instead of green. Within the corridor were dozens of Monks of the Blue, chronicling every one of these regrets in large books on a pedestal of marble. To the left of the Memory Hall was a door of red; smoldering rocks infected the marble of the door, smoking as though it were lava.

"What is here that such fire would taint this door so much? Is there some creature that breathes fire?" Dane asked, creeping closer to the door only to back away because of the heat emanating from the rocks. Ariel chuckled at his action.

"No no, nothing so visceral. This is The Chamber of Oblivion. Here, a record of everything that everyone was unaware of in their life is kept."

"Unaware of? Why would such a record be kept? Are you allowed in?"

"To be honest, no, I'm not. Only my mother Minerna, the Monks of Red and the Oblivion Knights are allowed through this door. This is the chamber I spoke to you about when you asked about the journal and those before you." Ariel said, looking over the door with a disappointed sigh.

"Why should you be barred from somewhere in your own temple?" Dane asked, trying to spy what he could through the crack between the doors.

"I have asked that very question of my mother, and the only answer she will give me is 'those who are oblivious to what paths could have existed are only shown them when discovery is made on their own. If all is revealed, then the infinite choices will leave one frozen in uncertainty and regret'. She has never given me any more of an answer then that." Dane managed to move in such a way that allowed him a small glimpse of a vast space housing millions upon millions of bowl oil lamps upon golden stands. Thousands of Oblivion Knights stood silently as the red fabric-like flames thundered below and above them.

"Have you seen all that you wish, visitor of the Goddess?" a stern, hollow metallic voice asked. Dane jumped and turned to see another Oblivion Knight. But this one was darker, almost black with gold designs on its chest, gold chain hanging from the spiked pauldrons across its chest.

"Y-y-yes, I mean no. I have not seen anything." Dane stuttered. From the holes in it shoulders, heavy blackened gauntlets slid out, hanging beside its body as if floating in midair but moving as a normal hand.

"Goddess, why have you brought a human to this area?" the Knight asked dryly as its glowing white eyes appeared in its helm.

"This is Dane, my contracted and beloved. I would assume someone such as he would be allowed to visit here under my guidance and supervision."

"He may be one with which you have contracted, but the fact still remains that he is human. And if records from the Halls of Memory serve as any sort of projection, Humans tend to pry into things that are better left alone." The Knight floated behind them, escorting both of them away from the door, standing between them and the door from then on with a great axe in its hands.

"How strange, that even a Goddess is forbidden from entering a place of her own home." Ariel chuckled a bit as she took his hand and led him to another part of the temple.

"This place was originally the home of my mother Minerna before my brothers and I came to be. To be honest, there still may yet be secrets that I have not found." Dane peered around the large knight and looked to the door behind him.

"Perhaps if there were mages before me, there would be some record of them in your Halls of Memory." Nodding to the thought, they went into the hall, requesting the help of the Monks that roamed the halls. Hours passed as they searched the hourglasses for anything regarding mention, or even thought of another mage like Dane. The only mention ever found within the books was Dane himself causing him to mention a thought.

"Perhaps the reason there is no mention of another mage, or of that journal is due to it truly being from the future as you said. If that is the case, then there would be no record of him or it before myself." Ariel closed a glass, handing it back to a monk before answering.

"That would explain much. But the future is so fluid, as it has yet to happen, that anything done will alter time weather in a massive way, or a small way."

"Seeing as there is a Gate of the Past, is there a Gate to the Future?" Ariel nodded.

"There is such a gate, however even if I were to peer inside the events or future I see is never the same. It is a place of infinite possibilities. Only a few general outcomes can be seen with any level of certainty using my Mirror of Time." Taking Dane by the hand, she led him to a large mirror framed in golden sand constantly in motion.

"With this, I have been able to see a Great Disaster looming on the horizon of time." Ariel waved her hand over the mirror as the image she had studied for so long appeared in it. Dane took in the entire scene, stepping back to better see the entire view of where time split to peace or destruction.

"Who are these standing at the split?" He asked, motioning towards the boy and girl facing away from them at the split of a road.

"They are one or both of our children. They will be the one to lead our world to a state of peace." Dane slowly turned to Ariel, letting go of her hand and stepping away from her.

"Am I nothing but a tool to you?" Ariel moved to him, taking his hand and putting her other around him.

"First and foremost, you are the one I have chosen. This disaster can be avoided by our union, our light. From what I know of human tales, a child is often the culmination of their love. I would say that our love, our Light would create a child who not only is a symbol of our love, but also a warrior or Light to ensure the world would be guided to peace." Dane sighed, lowering his brow and remaining silent. He understood her reasoning, but the knowledge that he might just be a pawn in a larger game of deities stung. He began to question his time with Menodora: was he also only using her as a piece to advance his own mission and goals?

"Come Dane, there are still things that I wish to show you." Ariel said, grabbing his hand and leading him to another part of the temple where countless fountains of sand stood sentry along the paths. She could see her plan wasn't received as well as she hoped, and he would need time to process his thoughts and feelings.

* * *

James panted hard, dropping to his knees as Pharamund blasted the last part of an Omen away. They had been called to the deserts of Arentia as an escort for the prince's caravan meeting with the Emperor in Orion.

"These damned Omens are getting tougher by the day!" Pharamund huffed, looking around to make sure there were no more of the persistent shadow creatures.

"But at least there are fewer of them. How long has it been since Master Dane left?" James asked, waving to the caravan to signal that all was clear to begin moving again.

"It's been nearly two months. I hope that whatever he's going after its going to be worth the wait. I don't think Mars or Vieren can contain Orchid or Lotus much longer."

"You and me both. Those little terrors are starting to get out of hand. I mean I get it, they are powerful. But they are beginning to get a little devious, even more so than they first were. Add to that their magical power is getting stronger and stronger as Mars teaches them."

"Mars knows Magic? Since when? I didn't think that Master Dane would even teach us any magic beyond using Light through these Shining Rods!" Pharamund said, shaking his staff to add emphasis.

"Master Dane didn't teach him anything. Mars is the one expanding his own knowledge. I've been searching here and there when I can to expand my own skills. As far as I am aware, Master Dane didn't say we _couldn't_ learn any magic beyond the Order's." James answered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Well then, it's no wonder you're able to overpower then Omens so much more easily than me." Pharamund laughed. The rest of the trip to Arentia remained peaceful with little resistance over the last few more days of travel. The prince handed them a large bag of coin upon arriving at the palace gates in payment for their services or protection.

"I suppose now we can return to Aurora? There's nothing to do here anymore." Pharamund asked, securing the bag of coin within his knap sack.

"That sounds like a good plan to me. It'll be good to sleep in my own bed again."

"I hear you. I didn't think I'd even know what it felt like to have dirt skin." The both of them laughed heartily as they turned towards home, holding up newly created Prisms allowing them to be transported directly to the chapel. As they turned the crystals to catch the sun's light, a rough man stepped from an alley loosely holding a crooked dagger. Pharamund and James lowered their arms tucking the crystal back into their belt.

"Can we help you?" James asked, shifting the hold on his staff.

"You two are part of that sect I've heard about killing off those shadow creatures?" the man said, tightening his grip on the dagger.

"We are clerics of the Aurora, yes. What can we do for you?" James pressed. The man brought the dagger to bear as four other men stepped out from alleyways around them.

"Then you aren't doing your job well enough. All of us have lost family to those creatures." Pharamund shifted his staff hold to a more aggressive position when James put a hand on his shoulder.

"These men are hurting Pharamund. They are seeds of Omens. We need help them before it becomes worse." James whispered, handing off his staff to him and stepping forward.

"I'm sorry you've lost your family. I can't imagine the pain you carry." James had furthered his research of Darkness, studying grief and its stages of release: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This man appeared to have latched onto his anger, wishing to channel it somewhere and the Aurora happened to be the target of choice.

"Don't insult me! You're the one responsible! You waste your time escorting nobles and princes while the rest of us are left to die of hunger and these foul creatures!" James held out his hand as he neared, slowly stepping closer.

"I'm not trying to be mean. You've suffered but channeling your anger like this won't honor their memory." James stepped within arm's reach of the man lowering his arm to his side. Pharamund took notice the others had stepped closer making him shift his stance lower.

" _Come on James, wrap it up._ " He thought, turning his attention back to James as he stood with his hand out. The man looked down at his dagger, opening his fingers slightly to look it over the polished wood handle.

"Perhaps you're right cleric." He said with a relaxed tone before grabbing James's hand, hauling him close and plunging his dagger through his gut, leaning down to his ear.

"But I will act on it rather than wallow in my tears!"

"JAMES!" Pharamund cried out, readying to teleport forward when he felt a sharp pain in his back watching a sword appear from his chest. Pharamund stared down to the blade in shock, watching his own blood streak the steel and stain his robes.

Another man drove a second dagger through James's lower back, twisting hard making him gasp silently as pain ripped through his body and collapsed to the ground. Pharamund fought against the cold stun of the sword in his chest, pulling away from the man swinging his staff. A pulse of light knocked the man to the ground then fired small spears of light catching two men by their sleeves pinning them to the buildings. In his adrenalin fueled actions, he overlooked the fourth man of the group. Another dagger plunged into his back making an arctic cold flood his chest. He turned and slammed his staff into the man's head, staggering to James.

"Pharamund, I can't feel my legs." James wheezed as Pharamund picked up James. Fatigue washed over Pharamund and searing hot spears stabbed his chest and he breathed. Looking down he then remembered the sword still lodged in his chest.

"Hang on James. We'll be out of here in a minute." He coughed, blood painting his mouth. Agony wracked him, reaching into his pocket for his prism, holding it up to the light. Just as the transport spell was activating, one of the men charged with a dagger. The light enveloped them all, taking them to the newly finished Aurora chapel. The man tumbled across the floor, locking his gaze onto Vieren and lunging with a feral yell. Vieren easily knocked the dagger away from the man, pinning him to the wall of the chapel with spears of light.

"Acolytes! Attend to James and Pharamund!" Mars called. A few of their newest recruits to the Aurora rushed to their teacher's side, healing over their wounds with their magic rushing both of them to the infirmary. Pharamund could be heard heaving with gurgling breaths as he was taken away.

"Why did you attack these clerics? What wrong have they done to you?" Mars demanded as Vieren held him in place.

"Are you the leader of that sect who preaches they are dealing with the dark creatures?!" the man asked, struggling to free himself from the spears of light.

"I oversee the Aurora until Master Dane returns. I ask you again; why have you attacked these clerics?" Mars narrowed his eyes noting the haze of Darkness surrounding the man.

"This whole sect is responsible for the loss of my older brother and father. Those creatures almost took my wife! And yet you stand here in your rich temples and do nothing! Tell me what you are doing to stop them other than being escorts to the rich and the nobles?!"

"We of the Aurora have our limits; You are not the first to bring this to our attention. The Aurora is currently the only Order specifically trained to handle these creatures…"

"LIES! If you truly were the only sect capable taking on the monsters you would be able to do so much more! You also claim to be helping with the famine. But I have seen you do nothing but escort the wealthy and royalty!" the man said, pulling an arm free before being pinned back to the wall again by Vieren.

"Look around you! Do you honestly believe we have endless resources at our disposal? Only recently have we begun training others! We can't protect every city, only suppress the more dangerous shadows!" Mars replied, his voice thundering through the entire chapel making it fall silent. An acolyte's running steps cut through the silence. The color drained from his face after hearing what the acolyte whispered to him.

"Thomas, Gwendolyn. Take this man to the broom closet and keep him there until I say. Vieren, go with them to ensure nothing happens." He commanded, walking with brisk steps to the infirmary.

"What's wrong?" he demanded as he entered.

"We've healed their wounds but they're aging at a rapid pace." The Acolyte explained. Mars looked them over, their once young features were fading at a visually noticeable rate.

"Take these two to the laboratory." Mars commanded. Once inside his lab, Mars summoned the twins hoping they could offer any insights he was missing.

"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong? Can't you see it?" Orchid exclaimed, pointing to the air above Pharamund.

"There is nothing to see child." Orchid rolled her eyes, grabbing him on either of his temples and turning his head towards the area. Mars blinked as a surge of power buzzed in his head when a pale blue trail of glistening smoke rising from James and Pharamund appeared.

"By the Great Mother, what in all light is that?!" he said as Orchid and Lotus both rolled their eyes.

"Don't you humans know anything? Someone is taking this guy's life force." Orchid answered.

"But how?! The only thing that's happened is the stabbing!" Orchid let go of Mars's head and the sight of the cloud faded.

"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one's on this? And how come you can't see it. It's totally obvious!" Orchid growled. Mars stroked his magnificent mustache as he thought it over. What could possibly be the cause of this, or worse yet, who could be taking his life force? Orchid hadn't held his head long enough to see where it was going so there was no way to tell where it was going without their help.

Returning to the infirmary he examined the blades removed from Pharamund, casting numerous detection and magical decryption spells over them, unable to find any spells on the blades themselves. He turned to Orchid and Lotus hoping they could see anything covering the blades. They were able to see something, but they couldn't see anything either. Mars returned to his lab, looking over his closest friends, clenching his jaw before gathering his Shining Rod and supplies throughout his lab.

"I am going to attempt to find where their life force is being taken. If I have not returned within four days, I would like for you and the master to come and find me." Orchid huffed and threw her arms wide.

"Oh, come on Marssy. Just cause Dane's away doesn't make you the master of the Aurora." Lotus simply scowled in his direction.

"I know it doesn't. I am asking you to tell the master what it is I am doing if he should return before I do." Telling Vieren of his quest, Mars appointed him as leader of the Aurora. Though the challenge of even seeing the life force was going to be much harder. Perhaps there would be some clue in how he felt when Orchid had grabbed his head and helped him see. Mars concentrated, thinking back those few moments when Orchid grabbed his head. Sometimes he would be able to see the stream of blue smoke trailing through the sky. He didn't need to see it permanently, he just needed to be able to know where he was going. And it appeared to be heading west.

* * *

"Good work gentlemen. I'm sure that will get his attention now." Hilda smirked, slowly waving her hand over a bottle where a gentle stream of glistening blue smoke gathered and distilled into a thick liquid. The man she spoke to stared blankly at the bottle as it filled.

"I thought you said that you were going to pay us once we were done with this?" one of the men asked.

"I did. But only when I have gotten what I want. And it still hasn't come yet." Hilda replied deviously, looking up at the man from under her lowered brow. She rested her chin on the back of her hand before turning her attention back to the bottle.

"No, you promised payment." The man barked, slamming his hands down on the table where Hilda sat. She looked up at him again, this time her golden brown eyes dark with malice.

"I would watch your tone mercenary. I could have easily taken those clerics myself. However, that would defeat the very purpose of doing this in the first place. You will receive your payment, you can be sure of that. But if you press the issue further, I can and _will_ revoke payment." The man backed down, unnerved by the cold and unfeeling light in her eyes, calling the other two men to leave with him7. Hilda smirked, her fire red hair being caught in a slight desert wind.

"I haven't forgotten about you, White Mage."

* * *

It only seemed like a few days as Dane was escorted around the temple by Ariel, shown things he was certain no mortal should ever truly know. He attributed it to the fact that he was contracted with her, and that he was in love with her. Dane knew that he would have to return soon; his visit here revealed to him that time passed by in strange ways. One minute only a few days could have passed, the next a whole year would have gone by and he would have been none the wiser.

"Ariel, I must return to Usoria. I need to see what has changed in my absence." He said bluntly, closing his eyes and mentally cursing himself for the honesty. Still he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck and breathing in her scent. It may only be a few days to him, but it could be an eternity for her before they saw each other again.

"I understand. Just, don't stay away too long. There is still a future closing upon us fast, and the window to alter its course is narrowing." Ariel replied, turning her head to the side to allow better access to her neck, reveling in his touch, his presence, his love.

"I will. I should only be gone for nothing more than a week." He kissed the side of her head one last time as she escorted him to the part of the temple where the stairs were located.

"Will this take me back to Haim's tree?" He asked, hoping more so he wouldn't have to walk days back to his chapel where he so eagerly wanted to see his fellow clerics.

"It can, but it can take you anywhere that you please from here. Just think of a location and it will take you there." She said with a smile. With a final lingering kiss Dane stepped through the doorway, thinking of the cottage he and the other had built. His foot landed on grass before the Aurora Chapel. Young people walked around the ground, sat against trees reading, or practicing magics with their own Shining Rods.

" _How long have I been away for all of this to have happened?_ " he wondered, walking up to the door where a young man stopped him.

"I'm sorry to say that only members of the Aurora are allowed to enter. If you have you come to be a part of us or have a request I can summon a Cleric." the young man explained. Dane was about to reply when Orchid and Lotus both caught sight of him from inside and ran to him, hugging him tightly.

"Dane! You're back! I thought you'd never come back." Orchid exclaimed.

"I didn't miss you, I just didn't want to listen to Mars of Vieren anymore." Lotus said, trying to hide his pleasure that Dane had returned when Vieren jogged up to him.

"Master Dane. It's good to have you finally return. Things have changed since you were last here." Vieren called stepping out of the door and excused the awestruck acolytes.

"I can see that. You've even begun expanding the ranks of the Aurora. How long have I been gone?"

"Don't you know? It been nearly three months! We were all beginning to think that you had abandoned us." Dane blinked and breathed a long sigh of disbelief: three months! Had it really been so long? It only felt like it had been a few days to him.

"I am sorry that I was away so long. Where is Mars? Did he go out for a while? And what of James and Pharamund?" Vieren's face fell as he steeled himself to tell the news.

"James and Pharamund are dead. They were attacked by a group of mercenaries in Arentia, of which one came with them here to Aurora and is currently being held in a broom closet. Pharamund managed to bring them home, but once the Acolytes had healed over their physical wounds, they began to age at a rapid pace. With the help of the twins, Mars found their life forces were being drained and went to seek out where it was being taken. That was over two weeks ago and we haven't heard from him since." Dane's face fell at the news, becoming serious and stern.

"Did you see where he went?"

"He probably went chasing where their life forces were going." Orchid said nonchalantly.

"And neither one of you went with him?" Dane asked sternly, making both of the twins back away from him.

"Why should we?" Lotus questioned with a scoff.

"Mars may be powerful in his own right, but anything capable of taking the life force of another would be more than he could handle on his own." Dane scolded when Orchid put a fist to her hip wobbling her head as she spoke.

"Well duh. But he didn't take anyone with him. Besides, Lotus and I were getting bored and he was getting annoying." She jeered, flipping one of her long pig tails. Dane growled in his throat, walking through the front door of the chapel with broad hard steps.

"Master?" called Vieren, following Dane inside.

"You made mention that you are holding a man involved with the attack, correct?"

"Yes, master we are. He's in the broom closet serving as a holding cell."

"I am going to speak with him. A mercenary on his own shouldn't have the knowledge or the power to pull a life force from a person on his own."

"Would you know of anything or anyone that would have the power to do something like this?" Vieren asked, keeping his voice low so none of the acolytes would hear as they neared the closet.

"Only one person comes to mind in the city of Azwan. She is a dangerous woman, capable of anything to achieve her goal."

"And whom would that be?"

"Hilda."


	14. ST - Chapter 13: Descent

Chapter 13: Descent

As the closet door opened, the man inside lunged for the light coming in; whomever had opened the door must be part of this accursed sect. Even if it wasn't their leader, killing even one of them would satisfy his rage. No sooner had the door opened and his hand about to touch the person outside then he was hurled back to the wall, supplies crashing all around him.

"What was that?!" he thought to himself as his eyes adjusted to the light and saw a man with long, snow white hair standing before him.

"Master! Was that really necessary?" another voice asked. The man glared, his crystal blue eyes dark with anger.

"It is my understanding that you are one of a band that attacked my clerics?" the man finally asked, his jaw flexing in restraint with each word.

"And what is it to you? You and your sect claim to be helping us. Yet all you would do is help those that have the coin!" the mercenary spat. The man stepped closer, kneeling to his level and extending a hand, but still tense with anger.

"I am Dane, Leader of the Aurora. The trained clerics here are few. We cannot be everywhere. You may have seen some of my clerics acting as an escort to the prince or Arentia going to and from a meeting with the Emperor of Usoria."

"Again! What are you doing to help us?" the mercenary spat. Dane wiped the spittle from his face, breathing in long and slow before continuing.

"The failing of crops has effected everyone. The prince was securing food stuffs for you in this trying time. We have escorted a merchant or two, but they were merchants of grain and meat, not of luxuries."

"Then why did my wife have to die?! You had the power to protect us, to protect her, yet did nothing!" The words echoed hard in Dane's mind; the very words he had screamed in rage to Ariel bringing memories of Menodora; her smile, her laugh, her love. Tears stung the corners of his eyes as Dane's hand flew to the mercenary's throat. He clenched hard as he pinned him to the wall, the mercenary's skin creaking under his grip. The entire closet darkened as black hazy mist filled the air around them.

"Well well well, look at you. Succumbing to the darkness so easily?" a voice asked as two eyes appeared in the shadows surrounding him, the light being just enough to illuminate its cloud-like form.

"You again. I have succumbed to nothing." Dane replied.

"Is that so? Then why have to latched onto his man's throat? Did he say something? Say someone's name that is dear to you?" Dane lowered his gaze away from the spectacle of the choking man before him.

"No, he hasn't said her name."

"What then, White Mage? What has upset you so much that you would allow me to emanate from you so freely?" the cloud asked, moving to better see his eyes before continuing with a smirk in its voice.

"He reminds you of your failure, doesn't he? He reminds you that you were the one that led to Menodora's death. He reminds you of how powerless Ariel was to save her." Dane remained silent closing his eyes trying to block out the cloud's words as tears stung his eyes and his chest felt heavy.

"That's it! You're now on the other side and you loathe what it sounds like don't you? To have a power that could have saved another, and yet being unable to do anything to prevent what happened. Oh, White Mage, you are a complex one, aren't you? You are channeling me through your disgust while trying to appear the saintlier." Dane grit his teeth as he listened to this cloud, this Darkness, expose his deepest hurts before him as though it were a spectacle.

"MASTER!" a voice cut through his rage, instantly dissipating the haze allowing him to regain control. When the rest of his senses came back to him, he felt the point of Vieren's staff pressed to the back of his neck and the heat of a spell blazing atop it.

"Master, I beg of you to release him! I do not wish to harm you but I will if I must!" Vieren commanded. Slowly Dane released his grip, letting the man drop to the ground spitting and coughing for air.

"It's alright Vieren. You can stand down now." Vieren dismissed his spell, dismissing those that had gathered as well with a stern word.

"Would you rather I continue in your place Master?"

"No Vieren, I will continue. Thank you for bringing me back to myself." Dane smiled, turning his attention back to the mercenary once again, this time keeping his distance.

"Tell me, you and those with you. Who was it that gave you the ability to drain Life Forces?" The man coughed and wheezed for a few moments before staring up at Dane from under his brow.

"We were given no such thing. Those of us that had lost family to those monsters had gathered at the tavern to reminisce about those we'd lost. As we spoke, a woman dressed in a cloak asked of our losses and we told her. She then told us of a sect that was responsible for their loss, offering us the chance for revenge. She even gave us the weapons and told us that two of your clerics would be coming in a short time. She never gave us ay magic." Dane narrowed his eyes, growling in the back of his throat.

"What did this woman look like?" he asked. The man still rubbed his throat but thought hard.

"She didn't take the hood from his head. But I do remember a strand of hair fell from under it. I only remember because it was the color of blood." Dane stared at the man for a moment before leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

"Master?" Vieren asked as Dane stormed through the halls to the kitchen.

"Have arrangements made to take that man back to Arentia." He said flatly, gathering a small sack and packing a few loaves of bread into it.

"It shall be done master. When do you plan on returning?" Vieren asked. He knew that Dane would be leaving, especially now that it seemed he had an urgent matter to attend.

"I should be back by last light." He answered, walking to Lotus ad Orchid's room.

"Come, we are retrieving Mars." Dane commanded.

"Do we really have to? He's such a stuffy old…"

"Orchid, now." Dane commanded with a stern bark. Orchid huffed, grabbing her cloak followed closely by Lotus as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door. The twins tried to talk to Dane, asking him meaningless questions. But Dane kept his gaze forward as he traveled outside the Forest of Peace, activating a transportation spell that took him and the twins to Arentia. Dane was greeted by a few of the people that he had helped in the past before starting Aurora where he asked if Mars had come this way in the past.

Some of the people did remember seeing him come through the town, noting that he always seemed to stare at something in the sky. When asked which way he went, it was all Dane could do to keep his composure as they all pointed him in one direction: Azwan.

"Why do we need to come along anyway? He's your friend, not ours." Lotus scoffed. Dane kept his gaze forward as they trekked through the endless billows of sand, answering in a flat tone.

"It is not Mars that I want your help in retrieving. There is a man far underground that has been maintaining a mass of power for the city. You are to get him and get out of the city. I will find Mars." Orchid and Lotus looked to each other, unsure if they really wanted to help or not. But it had been some time since they had anything of interest to do, this would be the next best thing.

It was sunset by the time the trio made it to the front gate of the city. On either side of it were two heavily armored skeletons with more further in the entrance.

"Well, we're not getting it that way." Orchid sighed with a sing song comment. Dane strode forward in stoic ire. The Skeletons caught sight of him, their eyes glowing white as they clattered forward. Dane swung his staff forward as a wave of light drifted over the sand, breaking the soldiers to pieces.

"Find a way down below the city towards that Obelisk." Dane commanded, pointing towards the spire behind them, walking deliberately through the gate and to the stairs that would lead him into the chamber of Hilda herself. As he walked, what he could only guess to be former soldiers of Azwan rushed at him with lowered spears only to be blown apart by pulses of light.

With each soldier that fell, Dane cursed himself for neglecting coming back to this city and instead pursed his own quest. Why hadn't he returned here? Why hadn't he mustered the will to return and free his grandfather from the task of maintaining the power of the Obelisk all on his own? Both were questions that he didn't have the answer for. What Hilda sought after was impossible to be sure, but even back then, he had the power to stop her. So why didn't he?

"You're interested in seeing if she can actually do it, aren't you?" a voice in his mind growled. This voice wasn't that of the Darkness, it was his own but fouler.

"No. Eternal Life is impossible. And as she is perusing it, it merely takes the life of another and adds it to your own."

"Even still, can you imagine the amount of knowledge one could gain from the time gained? You could become a deity yourself!"

"I am a mortal! I will not lower myself to think the same as Russel had!"

"You deceive yourself White Mage. The possibility is inviting and you are not immune to its lure." Dane swung his staff hard behind him, finding no one behind him in the hall before Hilda's chamber. Was he tempted? Was he curious to know if what Hilda was doing was possible? With a shake of his head, he stilled his mind and pushed through the doors where a small battalion of skeleton soldiers waited. With a wave of his staff the skeletons were turned to bones clattering across the floor, revealing Hilda lounging in her chair. Her eyes had become darker, more sinister in the time that had passed, but she still was as attractive as he remembered.

"White Mage. I'm glad you could make it." Hilda smirked with a magnetic tone. Dane's face remained flat as he entered the room, bones sweeping aside from his path.

"Where is Mars?" He demanded, walking to the center of the room and setting down his staff with a soft, metallic click.

"Who?"

"Mars, the man that came here following the life force of my Clerics. Where is he?"

"Oh, him. I put him in charge of maintaining the power of the Obelisk. This is the life of those weak Clerics of yours." Hilda smiled, holding up a small vile of blue liquid. Dane's eyes darkened, his hair caught in a draft around him.

"Your murderous quest ends here Hilda." Hilda threw her head back with a faked laugh.

"What a lark. I killed off the entire city of Azwan; you tried to stop me and you failed spectacularly yet never returned to complete your task. Now, after all this time, when your clerics are dead do you decide now that you are going to stop me?"

"That's Enough!" Dane growled, a pulse of light emanating from him. Hilda held her hand out as her staff raced to it in time to block the wave with a barrier. The barrier disintegrated before her eyes, hitting her hard and pinning her to the back wall.

"You have been brought back to my attention and I will not let you harm another life! Darkness Is already draining the world of Life, there need not be another!" Hilda coughed, steadying her vision.

"Really? Do you think that I have been idle in my time here since your last visit?"

"I do not care." Dane replied flatly, pointing his staff forward as another blast of light hummed towards her. Hilda teleported away, summoning her familiar Blackheart only to be dismissed in a plume of smoke before she could finish. Hilda tried again, but nothing happened making Hilda chuckle.

"Well, it seems that you too have learned…" Dane swung again, spears of light howling towards her. She drove her staff down hard on the ground as a blast of power spread from it throwing the spears into the walls. Dane followed with another blast of light, punching through Hilda's defense like a knife. Surprised, Hilda threw her hand up as a wall of skeleton soldiers appeared before her, scattering into bones as the attack hit.

Hilda reached to her side throwing out six small stones forming a barrier between them. The energy hit it, beginning to absorb into the stones only to shatter and drive her into the railing overlooking the silent city of Azwan below.

"You've grown cold in your years White Mage. I would have expected you to try to convince me to abandon my wayward practices." Hilda wheezed. She tried to move but something in her chest felt off; something was poking her side.

"You were the one that decided that life had no meaning. You could have sought out healing for your pain. You could have left Azwan and began life anew. Yet you held onto that pain, and now you are the only one left in a dead city of your doing."

"A city that has been rightfully judged. They have paid for the pain the wrought in making my life the least worthy in Azwan, to the only worthy life of Azwan." Dane growled rushing to her in a blur and pointing his staff under her chin, blazing white light humming at the end of it. Hilda tried to move away from the uncomfortably warm light, but each move felt a hot spear of pain stab her in the chest.

"You have taken life away from those that very well may have stood by you. You were loved by the people from what I remember. And you threw that love away for what? Fleeting life, youth, and beauty?"

"Why not? They took their affection for me away, affection that was rightfully mine! Their accusations drove me to what I am today! And now, they have paid in full with me as their rightful ruler." Dane's mind froze as her words sank in, bringing back flashes from so long ago when he and Menodora found Russel trying to tamper with the Great Circle. The very tampering that lead to her death. He felt rage boil up his back, the room becoming dimmer around him as he dropped his staff away from her face.

Hilda took the opportunity to teleport away, reaching for a vibrant potion of purple. She pulled the long glass rod from within it and licked off the contents, instantly healing her broken ribs. When she looked back to Dane, she could see the darkened air around him as he stood silently, the grip on his staff hard enough to make his skin creak.

"Oh, come now, this city was at the end of its life. I did them all a kindness really. If you think about it, they are still alive. They are just helping me stay young and beautiful in the process." She chuckled. His grip tightened on his staff as light began to hum from the top of it, but this time it was odious. A wave of hatred filled the room as Dane's hair was once again caught in the throes of power surrounding him.

"You are just like him!" Dane growled.

"Why should that make you angry? This wasn't your city." Hilda scoffed, healing the last of her wounds when she saw dark colored chains explode from the ground around him tipped with large spears. A chain spear hurled towards her forcing Hilda to teleport away just as another spear met her where she had gone. The tip sliced through her side, impacting the wall behind her with a hard clang. Another chain was nearing her before she teleported away, again met with more chains. After he fifth teleport, Dane met her instead, his eyes dark with rage.

"You are the reason she no longer lives!" Dane growled, eyes blue eyes dark and blank. Hilda tried to cast a barrier around her but Dane's movement smashed through it, grabbing her by the throat and hoisting her into the air. More chains snaked up from the ground, lowering their tips to her as she struggled to free herself from Dane's grip.

"Why are you so furious over a people you've never had a connection with?" Hilda wheezed. Dane gave no answer as he tightened his grip around her throat, holding her higher in the air until her feet no longer touched the ground.

"You took away everything!" Dane hissed. Releasing her, chains drove into her arms and legs, pinning her to the ground. Another chain snaked over her, pointing itself at her chest, coiling links as through readying to strike.

"If you kill me here, you will never know how to make that potion to begin with!" Hilda snapped. The last chain stopped just above her heart, still coiling links behind it but shaking. IN his mind, a chorus of pain filled wails, hisses of anger and hatred all demanded that he end her life.

"Why not kill her and end it here Dane?" the voice in Dane's mind returned, this time sounding more disappointed as the chorus died down to background noise.

"You're interested in that potion, aren't you? You WANT to know how to make it. Without her, you would be left floundering."

"She needs to be stopped. She needs to pay for taking my life away from me!" Dane answered back, momentarily lapsing. No, she hadn't taken his life. Why did he say that?

"The same way Menodora's was taken? Killing her would serve a double purpose. You could prevent further atrocities from being committed."

"Killing her would increase my Darkness. This is something that I cannot abide!"

"Then you are a fool!"

"I will not succumb!"

"Oh, but you already have. Look, how could the Light that you claim to channel create these chains? Can't you hear the swarm of voices crying for her blood?" Dane shook his head, coming to his senses realizing that it was no longer Light he channeled, but Darkness. With this realization he backed away from Hilda, the chains vanishing from sight almost as black sand.

"What's the matter? Couldn't go through with…"

"Master! We found the old goat!" Orchid called, she and Lotus coming into the room with Mars draped over their shoulders, dragging him into the room. When she caught sight of the room, she paused, wondering why the woman on the floor was bleeding and Dane was stumbling around as if he had committed some terrible act.

"What happened?" Lotus asked flatly. Dane looked up from his hands, casting a horrified glance over to Hilda as she lay bleeding on the ground, trying to erase from his mind the terrible sight that he had just witnessed of spear tipped chains driving into her arms and legs, ready to end her life then and there. Not saying anything, Dane hurriedly walked over to the twins, picking up Mars over his shoulders and carrying him out of the city.

"Master… I apologize…"

"There is nothing to apologize for Mars. For now, we must simply get away from this city."

"Why? What's going to happen?" Lotus asked as they burst into the fading daylight from the front gate, nearing the large obelisk.

"If we do not leave now, all the power held in that obelisk will be released and nothing within a 10-mile radius will survive." As they left the city, Dane could hear the power within it begin to sound strained and the stone that made up the structure began to crumble. Hilda pulled herself to the front gate, her wounds still bleeding from the chains with just enough conscious will to watch the small band disappear in a burst of light.

"Huh, what has the world come to." She chuckled to herself, closing her eyes with an almost contented sigh as the power within the obelisk ruptured the stone. Light enveloped everything around it, kicking up dust high into the air, shaking the ground and tossing waves of sand through the desert as an ocean.

* * *

Dane, Mars, Orchid and Lotus all burst into existence within the center of the Aurora chapel. No sooner had they arrived then Dane could hear the far off low growl of a rumble quivering through the ground under his feet. He sighed to himself, quickly taking Mars to the mess hall, laying him across a table and beginning to weave a healing spell over him. As Dane empowered it, he could feel a new power weave through his body and arms, further enhancing the spell.

"This must be an effect of my contract with Ariel." He thought for a moment, centering himself once more onto his task when Mars tried to speak.

"M-master. You must flee! Hilda, she…"

"Be still Mars. I still must heal your wounds. Your energy has been dangerously depleted." Mars struggled to keep his eyes open, feeling the energy slowly return before passing out. Vieren came into the mess hall, quickly coming over and holding his hand over Mars.

"Master, where was he?" he asked, initiating his own healing spell to take care of any physical wounds.

"He was being used to maintain the power of Azwan's Obelisk. From stories my mother told me as a child, it would take at least four high level shaman to maintain its power. I can only imagine that any less would put an immense strain on the human body." Vieren wanted to press further to more information but decided that it would be best to maintain his focus on Mars. For hours the two of them worked, bringing their friend back to a stable state. When at last he was stable, Dane ordered Orchid and Lotus to take Mars back to his room where he could recover the rest of the way on his own.

"Were you able to determine how Hilda was able to drain the life away of our other clerics?" Vieren asked Dane quietly, watching as the twins begrudgingly helped Mars to his room.

"Unfortunately, I was not." Dane replied with an absent tone, his thoughts scanning over actions taken while fighting Hilda. Vieren nodded, still wanting to ask more questions but Dane's absent stare told him that it would be pointless and left to ensure that Mars would be comfortable.

Once all was silent around him, Dane felt the weight of Darkness creeping in around him. In his mind's eye the sight of those dark, snake-like chains gouged into Hilda's arms and legs haunted him. Had he really given in to the Darkness's power? No, that couldn't have been it. He had used the power of Darkness once before in making the twins, but this: this was different. It felt as if it had left a stain on his soul for all to see.

He thought back over the fight and what it was that he had done. He hadn't thought about it fully at the time, but he had directed all his hate and rage at Hilda. No, it wasn't his rage and hate. It was the hate and rage of all the people that had perished for her potion. It was them whom sought revenge for what had been done to them. But if that were the case, why didn't he notice it? Why didn't he notice the Darkness take over until his own mind pointed it out as a darker self? Why did it even overtake him? Could he even use this new discovery to absorb and eliminate the Darkness himself?

"It could be a viable option." He thought to himself, returning to the old cottage that had served as the beginnings of the Aurora one of his own journals containing a few thoughts Dane memorized from the Ancient Mage's journal. Near the center, he found an entry that made reference to someone the Ancient Mage was rather frustrated with. The Mage's words were cutting, describing someone that had attempted to cleanse the Darkness before him, but giving no name.

" _He was a child! Such idiocy is attempted only by fools. A man of science as he was ignoring testing before attempts is better off dead_." Dane's brow furrowed; it seemed the person the Mage spoke of attempted to purge Darkness by absorbing it outrights, thus leading to a catastrophic failure.

"If that mage failed, then I will make sure to perform extensive tests before such an act is considered." Dane entertained the thoughts of experimentation until late at night. Just as his eyes were about to close, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder as a bright but comforting glow surrounded him. He managed to keep his eyes open just long enough to see a hazy projection of Ariel carrying him to his bed in the cottage, laying him down and resting his head on her lap.

"Sleep my love. Sleep. The journey is long, and what you seek will be better found in the morning." Her breathy voice calmed Dane into sleep, closing his eyes with his hand firmly clutched in Ariel's.

* * *

Arkarium walked the desert sands of Arentia with slow purpose, the light evening breezes sifted through the drifts of sand, grating against his pale skin and metal staff. His large cobra familiar slithered from place to place, keeping its gaze fixed upon the sands as it moved.

"What are you wasting time for? Hurry and find her! I don't want to be here when the sun sets completely. It's already cold enough as it is." The cobra turned its yellow gaze back to him, spreading it hood and hissing loudly at him. Arkarium clenched his jaw, his eyes widening with anger when the cobra dove below the sands, disappearing completely. Silence hung for a long while until the cobra burst from under the sand, a woman with blood red hair in its mouth. She coughed a heaved, rolling onto her back and staring up at the fire painted sky simply breathing.

"So, you did survive." Arkarium said with a tone of surprised disappointment. Hilda rolled onto her hands and knees, steadying her light head before getting to her feet.

"Who are you that you should mock the Grand Master Shamaness of Azwan?!" She answered, holding out her hand for her staff, but when it didn't come to her hand, she inwardly became uneasy. Most of her power was useless without the focus of her staff.

"I am Arkarium of Kritias, Master of Dark Alchemy. I come to offer you a proposal Hilda. I've heard of your research into eternal Youth and have heard that you seek eternal life?"

"That I have been, what is it to you?"

"In exchange for your knowledge of eternal youth, I will help you uncover the secret to eternal life using Dark Alchemy which can, by nature, break down energy and magic completely." Hilda's head pounded and her ears began to ring as she began feeling the effects of the Obelisk exploding, but this Dark Alchemy sounded interesting. Magic and by extension Alchemy always had a root from science. Something that could break down energy and magic entirely was both terrifying, and intriguing.

"Go on Arkarium. You have my attention."


	15. ST - Chapter 14: Creation

Chapter 14: Creation

Days became weeks as Dane plunged forward, examining the samples of Darkness collected over the previous years more closely. The laboratory in the temple previously open to all the acolytes of the Order became a place of residence for Dane. At times he would venture from his hovel to join the now recovered Mars and Vieren on trips to vanquish Omens that would appear around the world. But when he returned he would retreat to the laboratory to test and study further.

Unfortunately his studies could only take his so far. He needed somewhere for the Darkness to go for it to be vanquished. Absorbing it into himself seemed the most viable option, but even the tiniest drops would send him spiraling into fits of rage, sorrow, shame or even suicide. There had to be a way to rid the word of the Darkness. The famine was only growing worse by the day; Omens were becoming more and more prevalent, even creatures were being overcome by it.

" _Wait! What if…?_ " turning pages in his notebooks as if possessed, he hoped to find some clue that he perhaps overlooked in his research's earliest days. Back then, he studied the Darkness with less frustration and more curiosity. Was the fact that his emotions were more intense in general that led to his being controlled by the Darkness? What if he were to combine strong emotions and his Darkness Conversion Theory into one?

He reached for a vial of Darkness that he had classified as a less intense shade while heading behind the temple. With great mental effort, Dane stilled his thoughts, calmed his breathing and focused all his attention into feeling nothing. Not anger, not grief, not excitement or joy. Nothing. Once sure that he was blank, Dane pulled the cork from the bottle unleashing an Omen that howled in grief, speaking to a multitude of tragedies long since passed.

Dane remained still and unmoved as the Omen wailed around him, seemingly ignored by it. Holding out his hand, his staff snapped to his palm as light flared from the end. Still the creature didn't react, aimlessly looking for something amidst the trees and shrubs that surrounded them. With a sweep of his staff, a sheet of pure white light sprang from it, cutting through the Omen and the trees behind it, but the Omen remained unfazed.

Reaching for his notebook, he jotted down the result of his test then held the staff up again, this time allowing himself to feel frustration of his stalemate. Immediately the Omen snapped its gaze to him, lunging at him with open arms and agape mouth. Sweeping his staff again, the same sheet of light cut through the Omen's body, this time making it appear wounded as it slumped to the ground. Quickly reaching for his notebook, he jotted down a note then held his staff at the ready for one last attack.

This time he held forward his hand, initiating an absorption spell. The Omen turned its gaze to him, lunging at him once more. Dane did the best he could to sidestep the creature as its claws tore through his flowing sleeve. As the creature passed, a stream of black smoke was pulled from the creature and borrowed into Dane's hand. Sorrow and fear over took him making it difficult to even stand. He legs shook and buckled willing them to stay under him, but the more of this Omen's Darkness that he absorbed, the harder it was becoming.

The creature again lunged, but with little to no strength in his legs, Dane could only collapse to the ground, barely missing the razor-sharp claws of the Omen. But the gesture left him open to a second swing tossing him across the ground. As Dane pulled himself from the dirt, tears flowed from his eyes and his heart felt as if it were imploding. With every bit of will he had to spare, Dane gathered the Darkness he had absorbed, firing it back at the creature in a blaze of silvery light.

The resulting blast blew off one of the Omen's arms make it back away with wide eyes, clutching at its shoulder. Dane's tears ceased allowing him to stand once again unimpeded. Looking to his hand, the words of the Darkness he had faced when creating Lotus and Orchid's bodies came to mind.

"Darkness may be the concentration of so much pain, but when focused through a single emotion, it can grant one unimaginable power. It could even create a god." Dane clenched his fist hard enough to make his skin creak and turned darkened eyes back to the Omen.

"Through a SINGLE emotion. Perhaps I can use Darkness to create a more powerful Light, a true Ultimate Light." Breathing slow and long, he gradually silenced all emotion save for one. A wave of power washed over everything. The Omen lunged, roaring deafeningly as it aimed its powerful jaws for his waist. But the creature felt as if its body were being torn in half as it passed over him. Turning back to Dane, the creature saw a cloud of its essence swirling in his palm before being absorbed into it.

The Omen tried to run when Dane opened his glowing white eyes. He thought of Ariel. He thought of the time they had spent together even when she was using a pseudo body. He thought of the love that had built between the two of them and how it was that love that had brought him out of his darkest of times, channeling all the Darkness he had absorbed through that love.

With a single swing, light spread from the staff cutting right through its body with ease, turning it to ash in a mere instant. No sooner had the Omen faded from view than the surrounding area felt as if dawn had come to it. The whole world seemed brighter, even the air felt lighter. But the revelation wasn't to last; as if it were water drawing back on itself after tossing a rock into it, the whole world weighed down on Dane, nearly bringing him to his knees. After what seemed like eternity, Dane was able to open his notebook once more and jot down his thoughts.

"The Darkness felt as if it has been pushed aside, giving me a glimpse of the world as though morning had come to a dark room. But it soon pulled back in and felt as if I would be broken under its weight. Conclusion; Darkness can be avoided by feeling nothing, though it cannot be combated when no such feeling is used. When a Strong or Negative emotion is felt, it will attract Darkness. I surmise that Negative emotions exclusively will draw it faster, but this requires further study. To create a stronger Ultimate Light, Darkness must first be absorbed and channeled through an emotion which will then enhance Light many degrees.

With a satisfied breath, he dotted the page with a period and closed the book around the pen. After having written down his thoughts, a new theory came to mind: putting extracted Darkness into a creature that had been saturated in the Ultimate Light. Or at least, channeling it through the creature could provide a means to ridding the world of Darkness.

"Ultimate Light, now there's a term I haven't heard in a long while." Dane muttered to himself, turning back to the temple and his lab. Inside, Mars was searching through a bookshelf for a spectral transmutation manual.

"Oh master. I hope I'm not disturbing you. Are you alright?" He asked when he saw Dane's dirty and torn robes.

"No, you are not Mars, and I am fine. How are the Acolytes?" Dane asked, though his mind was more focused on his theory.

"There are many that are eager to learn from you directly." Dane listened absently to Mars, writing thoughts into a notebook.

"I think it would be in the best interest of the Order if you were to come a train a few of them tomorrow in the use of their Shining Rods. Vieren and I can only teach them so much after all." Mars continued, noting that Dane seemed to be distant, slightly annoying him.

"I'm sure that you are still able to teach them Mars. I have discovered something that could lead us into finding a way of ridding the world of Darkness once and for all, and I must pursue it." Dane answered, squinting his eyes in thought as he wrote out an extraction method. Mars pursed his lips, heat running through his arms and face.

"Master, I must insist that you come and at least address the acolytes. You were the one that began this order, and yet you have yet to so much as present a welcome speech." Dane stopped writing and turned to face Mars fully.

"Our work here is more than training acolytes and slaying Omens. Must I remind you that our purpose is to find the root cause of the Darkness spreading through the world and stop it, completely. Training others will simply delay it, not save the world." Dane's grip tightened on his pen, the muscles flexing in his jaw as he spoke.

"The world is continually edging towards a state, that if left unchecked, will become irreparable and all will suffer because of it." Dane growled as he spoke, gently pounding his fist on the table with each word for emphasis.

"Then what are we training acolytes for if the majority of our mission is to stop this Darkness? What happens once we complete our objective?" Mars demanded, slamming the end of his Shining Rod on the fine marble floor.

"Those we train are there to protect what we can until I am able to find a way to combat the Darkness. Once it has been eliminated the order's purpose will shift to ensure Darkness within the world will never reach that level again." Getting up from his chair he set a heavy hand on Mars's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze, his tone softening.

"I need you and Vieren to continue your work. I have found a possible solution, but I need time. And that is quickly running out without a way to delay the Darkness spreading." Mars growled in his throat, clenching his fist making his arm burn all the hotter.

"What of the Ultimate Light you told all of us about? Why haven't you used that to destroy the Darkness you extract? There are literally dozens of vials here you can test it on." Mars shouted, throwing his arm out motioning towards a wall of shelves where indeed dozens of dark vials sat.

"And that is exactly what I intend to do." Dane answered, pausing for a moment, tilting his head and furrowing his brow slightly, a pang of dread settling into his mind.

"Are you losing your faith in our cause Mars?"

"By no means Master!" Mars answered quickly, jerking his head back with a shake, blinking a few times as the question hit him.

"Good. Because I will need every single one of you to help me as I complete this journey." Dane gently shook Mar's shoulder to add emphasis to his statement before turning back to his theory.

"You said that you had come up with a new theory master? Would you care to expound?"

"I am going to use Darkness to vanquish Darkness."

* * *

"I thought that you promised me your Dark Alchemy would allow me to achieve eternal life?" Hilda spat, her voice rough as she looked over the blackened vial.

"I said that I would help you achieve it. Combining arts such as these has never been attempted before, so have some patience." Arkarium growled, looking over his notes and theories once more. Reaching to her skirt and a pocket within, Hilda pulled a small vial and undid the cork. Light blue vapors sprung from it which she inhaled deeply. Some small age lines that had begun to appear on her body disappeared giving her the look of a women no older than 20.

"Perhaps if you spent less time writing and more time actually performing experiments, we would be all the closer." Hilda huffed as she walked over to a crowded cell filled with a dozen or so prisoners sentenced to death by the King of Kritias. She threw the cell open, scanning the cell for a moment before settling on a terrified teen.

"Him." Hilda barked. Robed men assigned to help Arkarium filed into the cell, grabbing the teen by the arms and hauling him to his feet, putting a dirty rag over his mouth to stifle his screams. The teen fought with everything he had, terror overtaking him as he was dragged from the cell. The chains of his shackle were strung on a hook and pulled up so that only his toes touched the ground. He had seen what happened to those before him, and he didn't want to become another victim.

"How many do we have left?" Arkarium asked disinterestedly, looking over his notes and making an adjustment to something before going to the next page.

"It looks as if we have ten or so remaining. If you don't find anything soon, we'll have to start collecting others who aren't convicts. If that happens, it will be sure to draw attention to our work." Hilda huffed with a modicum of pity, holding her palm out to the teen.

"It's a shame really. You might have made a cute concubine." She laughed, closing her fist one finger at a time. With each finger that touched her palm, more and more of a blue cloud pulled from the teen into a small bottle. When the last of the cloud had dissipated, she corked it and the teen fell limp in his shackles.

"Toss that with the others." Hilda commanded, putting the vial into a small holder in the middle of an alchemic circle.

"This time, don't waste it." Hilda sneered, standing off to the side as the men in robes took down the teen and dragged him off to a door emptying into a cavern. At the bottom were scores of corpses feeding dozens of wild dogs.

* * *

Ariel patiently watched as Dane studied his new theory. It was a fresh take on trying to rid the world of Darkness, but at the same time she felt that it was pulling him further away from her. She could manifest in a small way for a short time without distorting the world around her, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to actually hold Dane once again. During the times that she did manifest, she would speak with him of his workings.

More than simply wanting Dane to be near her in body, she was worried that his research was beginning to effect in him in negative ways. All of his tests would be performed using small creatures found in the forest, bombarding them with Ultimate Light to absorb, and then thrusting a crystal of pure Darkness within them. While the method was cruel to be sure, the creatures afterward seemed no worse for ware and the Darkness had been eliminated as well as a large area cleansed for a short time. A positive effect, but all the while Dane began to show signs that his research was affecting him as well. And after seven months, she could no longer stand by idly.

"Dane, my love. You must cease, just for a little while. Let your mind have time to process and recoup all that you have learned so far." Ariel gently urged, manifesting herself just enough to put her arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly, breathing in his comforting scent.

"I cannot. The research I am doing is providing me with a way to easily rid the world of…"

"Dane. Please. Come away to my temple, just for a short while." The pleading of her voice made Dane stop, realizing that Ariel had put her arms around him laying her head on his back and pressing herself to his back. A heavy weight pressed in his chest plaguing his mind with guilt. Had he really been so obsessed with his work that he had forgotten the very woman who brought him out of his own storm of Darkness?

Putting the pen down he sighed, reaching up to Ariel's hand around his shoulders and kissed this inside of her wrist.

"I apologize my goddess. I have been lax. But it will take me a few days to reach you as I have to travel to Haim's tree once more to get to your temple." Dane groaned, leaning back against Ariel.

"That isn't the only door I can make. All you need do is say 'in the name of my contract I call to Ariel', and it will open a door to my temple wherever you are." She answered softly, smiling and kissing the side of his neck. Dane felt a hole grow in his chest, realizing just how long he had been away from her and how comforting it was to actually has someone he loved nearby.

"Very well, I will be there shortly. But I cannot stay long, as you know time is a funny thing within your temple." Ariel smiled and stood back up, holding his hand as she faded from manifesting.

"I await you, my love." She said, her voice echoing long into the breeze as Dane felt her touch disappear. He gathered his staff, now fitted with small chips of the Aurora and one large one in the center at the top of the main shaft and turned to leave. But his research strewn about the table made him hesitate at the door. There was so much that still needed to be done, so much that needed to be looked into. He only needed just a few more minutes to finish up the new method he created for extracting and solidifying Darkness.

Slowly he walked back to his table, his mind warring within him to turn around and walk out the door. But still he walked, placing his hand on the notebook, grabbing the pen and setting his wrist on the edge of the paper, ready to write. A heavy sigh escaped his nose as he put the pen between the pages and closed the notebook, straightened up the papers then turned and left.

With a word to Vieren and Mars, he left the Aurora temple and made sure he was far enough away that no one would see his summoning of Ariel's door before speaking the words. As before, he was awed by the design of the temple. His mind was still not used to the fact that he was not only able to come to the home of a goddess on a whim, but that he was also essentially married to one. It was only moments before Ariel herself came to greet him, putting her arms around him tightly and pressing her lips to his for a long, long while.

"You know that I can only stay for a short while my goddess." Dane interjected, at which Ariel's smiling face fell slightly and her eyes saddened.

"Please, don't speak of something like leaving only when you've just arrived. But I promise that I won't keep you long." She pined, taking him by the hand and leading him through the temple for a while though they walked in silence. Despite the time they had known each other, there still felt as if there were an immense rift between the two of them.

"Dane, my love. Do you truly love me?" Ariel finally asked as they walked through an empty hall. Dane stopped cold, his whole being feeling as if it were frozen in place.

"What?" Dane asked with a shocked tone.

"Do you love me or am I merely a devise for furthering your research?" The question made Dane unsure of himself as his fingers fidgeted. Had he just been using her for the creation of Light? Had he really been neglecting her to the point that his goal overrode his love for her? Did he really see her as only a tool? Ariel waited with baited breath, her chest tight and eyes brimming.

"I…" Dane's mind raced, thinking back to the time that he had spent with her in Usoria and Enariel. Would he have even been in the same place that he was now if it wasn't for her? He tried to speak, but words wouldn't come. Ariel bowed her head and released her grip on his hand, a tear clinging to the edge of her eye. With a wave of her hand, the contract she had forged with him appeared and spoke with a breaking voice.

"If your goal is truly to rid the world of Darkness, then I will not stand in your way. But please, tell me that I am wrong. Tell me that I have meaning in your life. If not, I will release you of this contract and I will never interfere again. I will find another way of averting the disaster." The warmth left Dane's chest as he watched Ariel summon a flame to her hand, holding the contract in the other.

" _No! I can't! I won't lose her as I lost Menodora!_ " Dane screamed in his mind. He thought of the loneliness that waited for him away from her forever, and it terrified him. With a swift reach, Dane grabbed the Contract away from her with one hand and grabbed her wrist with the other that held the flame. Taken by surprise, Ariel tried to back away but was backed against a column as Dane's lips met hers with an almost desperate passion. At first, she did nothing, but she relented and returned his kiss putting her arms around him and holding him close, careful not to crush him. When Dane finally released her, he leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and his breath slow.

"I love you more than words can describe my goddess. I feel often that I am unworthy of such love. But I cannot, I _will not_ let you go. Please, forgive my absent mindedness for…"

"Dane, I am not simply a goddess. I am more; I am your wife. Stop seeing me as something unattainable. I've chosen you, of all mortals through time and the world. Let me love you as an equal." Dane sighed and nodded, opening his eyes to meet hers. Time stopped in that moment as Dane took her hand, leading her back to her bed chamber. After closing the doors, he slipped her dress from her shoulders as they lay down together, running his fingers through the silky soft feathers of her wings.

"Ariel, I vow that I will come to see you every month in mortal time. I wish to make up for the time that I have lost." He whispered to her. Ariel smiled as she reached above her and took her silvery crown from her head, setting it aside and spreading open Dane's shirt allowing skin to meet skin.

"I accept." Ariel whispered as she pulled Dane to a sitting position and began to lose herself to the feel of Dane's lips on her neck.


	16. ST - Chapter 15: Declaration

Chapter 15: Declaration

Ariel stirred when she felt the brush of a breeze through the feathers of her wings. Her skin felt warmed by the light coming through the grand windows of her bed chamber as movement within her arms woke her completely. Opening her eyes, she saw Dane lying next to her still asleep. With slow movements, she pulled herself onto Dane's chest and lay her head back down to listen to his breathing. She jumped a bit when she felt his cool hand on the small of her back, running over her skin to the middle of her wings. When he looked down, he was greeted with Ariel's sleepy smile and messy hair as she rested her chin on his hands.

"Finally awake, are you?" Ariel asked softly, pulling her body across his chest to meet his lips.

"That I am, Ariel." Dane smiled. The previous hours had opened a new path to them, bringing the two of them closer than they had ever been. No longer would there be any doubt of distance, usage or goddess and mortal. They were no longer bound together be a simple contract. They were, together, more. They were a family. Ariel pulled herself up, stretching her arms over her head. Dane reached and hand to her thigh, noting that her stomach appeared to be protruding ever so slightly.

"Ariel? Are you…" Ariel looked down to her stomach, putting a hand to the small swell in her stomach and grinned.

"It would appear so." Dane lowered his brow, propping himself up on his elbow while putting a hand to her stomach.

"How? It's only been a few hours as I can recall." Dane asked.

"You forget my love. Time moves differently here in my temple." Airel chuckled, leaning down with a gentle kiss while reaching for her dress piled on the floor.

"How long has it been within Usoria?" Dane asked, wincing a bit when he realized that he still sometimes fell into the trap of wanting to do research over being with Ariel.

"From what the sand fountains say, it's been about three days." Ariel casually replied, finally pulling on her dress only to realize that the waist was somewhat tighter than she had remembered.

"THREE DAYS?! It's only been a few hours! I must return now." Dane jumped from her bed, drabbing his clothes and pulling them on as fast as he could muster. He was just fastening the belt of his pants when Ariel's arms pulled around him and hugged him firmly.

"Can't you stay just a bit longer? The Mirror of Time has shown me that our child will be the one to rid the world of Darkness. You don't need to study yourself into ruin." She asked, laying her head on the back of his neck and pulling her wings around him.

"Ariel, my goddess, you yourself have said that time moves differently here in your temple. I would stay for all eternity if I could. But there are those in Usoria waiting for me. Our child may be the one to rid the world of the Darkness, but until that time I will study it so that our child will have the needed knowledge to defeat it once and for all. I promise that I will return in one month's time." Ariel breathed long and slow, pulling her arms around Dane tighter for a moment before letting him go and assisting pulling on his shirt.

"I will hold you to that Dane, my love." Ariel replied kindly, kissing him deeply. When Dane returned to the chapel, he found a very well-guarded caravan parked before it. Mars and Vieren were standing on the front steps arguing with whom Dane guessed to be a soldier from that caravan. As he neared, he could begin to catch what Mars was saying.

"…as I have explained to you multiple times, the Master is not currently in. There is now way of knowing when he will return!"

"Then I demand to be let into the building where I and my soldiers will search for ourselves. This in an urgent matter that we must speak to your 'master' about immediately." The Guard as well as the four soldiers that had accompanied him to the steps all drew their weapons. They were about to force their way past Mars and Vieren, when Dane appeared before them in a flash of bright light. His icy stare instantly stopped the soldiers, further making them back away as light hummed to life at the end of his staff.

"What is the meaning of forcing your way into my house?" Dane asked, slamming the end of his staff on the marble steps making a sheet of light erupt from it. The guard whom had spoken before switched the hold on his sword and pointed to Dane.

"Are you the one called the White Mage?" he asked with a loud sneer. Dane locked eyes with him, the blank stare in Dane's eye enough to make the guard swallow, switching his grip back.

"I will ask again; who are you, and why do you force your way into my house?" Dane asked, every word said with slow force. The guard relaxed his stance, producing a symbol from under his glove.

"I am Triston, Captain of the 8th regiment to…"

"Get to the point!" Mars shouted, quickly met by Dane's hard stare.

"Let the man finish." Dane answered with the same slow force he had spoken to the soldier with before turning his attention back to the man, signaling with his hand to continue.

"…to the King of Zakuman, Leon Lionheart. We come seeking the aid of the Aurora as there appear to be creatures made of shadow appearing. We've come to understand that you lot are the ones most experienced in this matter and to that end we were commanded to speak with the leader of this place at all costs." Dane stared at the man for a long while, flexing his jaw for what seemed like ages as he thought.

"I am Dane, the White Mage. Tell me, does the Grave Site from the Ragonian Slave Trade still remain?" Dane asked, his speech returning to its normal pace and rhythm.

"Yes, why is that relevant?" the Guard asked raising an eyebrow as he sheathed his sword. Dan began to turn away, speaking with greater speed than he had before, but with more authority.

"Tell your men to be ready to leave within the hour. I will go with you back to Zakuman." Dane commanded, walking back into the chapel with Mars and Vieren close behind, giving them instructions as he went.

"Go and gather your Shinning Rods and whatever spell books you need. Vieren, find Orchid and Lotus. Tell them to meet me in the Lab as soon as you find them." Mars and Vieren split off as he walked with great speed, almost knocking acolytes over within the halls. In his lab, Dane began gathering his notes, bottles and a small black crystal he had made from solidifying Darkness. As he gathered his things, Lotus and Orchid walked in, both of them leaning against the door jam.

"What is it this time? Is it something fun?" Orchid asked, perking up a bit at the prospect.

"No, it isn't. You two are to accompany Mars, Vieren and I to Zakuman. There, we will face a powerful Darkness; a stain on all human kind. You will help me study it." Lotus huffed and rocked his head side to side, cracking his head as he chuckled.

"Why should we help you with this? We've already told you how to find the root of any given Darkness haven't we? Besides if it is as bad as you say it is, there won't be time for studying."

"Regardless of the study, we need to vanquish it. This Darkness is one of many Great Stains on humanity that need to be taken care of and will yet lead to a solution for the Darkness as a whole. We will need all the help you can give." Orchid drooped her arms and hunched her back.

"Awww, that sounds so boring! Why can't we just go take care of some Omens like always do with the Acolytes?"

"Because we will need your power. This is a Darkness that can't be called an Omen. It is worse." Orchid and Lotus continued to whine, even as they mounted double on a horse walking with the caravan. But eventually their whining gave out, sitting in impatient silence until Captain Triston spoke.

"I am happily surprised that you are coming with us back, but may I ask the reason for the urgency?" he asked. Dane sighed softly and began.

"Your kingdom from what I have studied was established solely for the purpose of guarding the gravesite of the Ragonian Slave Trade. The creatures that you have been seeing now are Omens; shadows left behind by the people killed there. If these Omens are left alone, it will only get worse. We are going to the heart of the problem: the gravesite itself." The captain sat back, pursing his lips, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on his knees to support his chin.

"That would explain why we haven't been able to hurt them in any way."

"You tried to fight them?" Vieren asked with a near squeak in his voice.

"Yes, though those that did were often overcome with some sort of mind magic that left them frozen with grief or began fighting each other. They are the best men we have, unfazed by anything, any yet they were brought to their knees just by being in their presence."

"That is the power of the Omen; they are the manifestation of those emotions from those killed in that grave."

"Have you tried anything else?" Mars asked, squinting his eyes and turning his head slightly.

"We tried calling on Clerics of Nanahuatzin, Haim, Ariel, even Minerna herself. But they were unable to do much of anything against them." Mars turned to Dane who sat motionless.

"We will attempt to vanquish this Darkness that infests the world here." Dane answered flatly, staring down to his staff and the large Aurora crystal in the center of its crook-like design. His thoughts were drawn back to what he faced when he and Mars had gone to the grave of the Darlaus Crusades.

" _I was barely able to overcome that beast, that creature. This is the site of something far more powerful._ " Looking at his hands, he caught sight of Mars and Vieren looking out the windows across from him.

" _Mars had been overcome easily, but he has trained so he shouldn't be as easily overcome. Vieren however hasn't faced anything worse than a large Omen. But the love for his wife is strong making his Light robust; he should be fine._ " Looking out the window beside him, he caught sight of Orchid and Lotus riding beside the wagon. Would they even be affected by what waited for them? Yes, they had been changed by the Darkness, however that didn't mean they could no longer be affected by it.

" _What is it that lies in wait for us?_ " Dane thought, pulling out his notebook and reading over his Darkness transformational spell. If this didn't work, then he would have to try something else.

" _There might not be enough time to try something else._ " Dane swallowed hard and turned back to his notes. He _had_ to succeed.

* * *

Tahir had been lost after losing his family, resorting to becoming a mercenary for hire just to keep his mind off their loss. But it didn't bring much money in, usually eating only when he got paid which only brought in a few coins every few days. And between the times that he wasn't working, the memories would come back. He and a few other had banded together for survival, sharing what little coin they made between them. All of them had lost family, some still had children to care for.

" _If it hadn't been for those damn shadows…_ " he thought as he slowly ate part of a loaf of bread he had purchased. Those damnable clerics of that sect said to be fighting off the shadows, they were also to blame. One of his friends disappeared with them when they were hired by what he later found to be a beautiful Shamaness of the Dead City Azwan: Hilda.

It was more given an opportunity for them to direct their anger than anything, something that Tahir fully understood now. But still, it was a job that paid well, _very_ well. He looked down to the heavy pouch on his belt, lumpy and bulging from all the coins in it. It was more money than he had seen in years.

His thoughts turned to his friend Omar and the children that had been left behind after their latest job. After being paid by Hilda, he and the band of mercenaries collectively took up watching over Omar's two young sons. Gahlib and his wife Qamar lost their own children to the shadows and took the brunt of providing for them, helped greatly by a generous gift my Tahir. He looked down to the small chain hanging on his palm having a small locket with a lock of his Wife's and daughter's hair within it.

"What am I to do Talea?" He asked quietly, picking up the locked at opening the cover to look at the picture. His rage against those clerics still burned, but he had been forced to question his actions when he found that he and his comrades had only been used to further Hilda's plans, whatever they were. A knock on the door snapped him out of his thought, tucking the locket within his shirt and going to open it. When he did, he was faced with his friend that had disappeared.

"Jamal! You're ok!" he said stunned. His friend nodded crookedly, asking to come in. With an eager swing of his hand Tahir stepped aside allowing him in.

"What happened to you? It's been seven months since you disappeared with those clerics in a flash of light. Where have you been?" Jamal chuckled as he slumped down into a chair at the table, taking his dagger from his belt and slapping it onto the table.

"I have been all over the eastern desert traveling with a lovely Acolyte of the Order of Aurora named Hanna."

"Did you kill her?" Tahir asked, speaking through clenched teeth and curling his lip. Jamal picked up his dagger by the butt and stood it on its tip, spinning it around making it dig into the wood slightly.

"No actually, I didn't." He answered bluntly. Tahir's face went red, his fists balled up tight and his heart beat so hard he swore it would burst from his chest.

"WHY THE HELL NOT?! They are the ones not doing their jobs! Why should we show them any mercy? They are responsible for your family's death! And you just _LET_ one of them live?!" Tahir thundered. Jamal sighed, catching the dagger from the table and thumbing the edge as he leaned over his knees.

"Oh trust me, I wanted to: I still want to. But Hanna at least showed me what they are trying to do. They aren't simply trying to rid the world of these Omens as they call them. They are also trying to prevent more from being made."

"That still doesn't forgive them for their inaction!" Tahir growled, slamming his fist on the table hard enough to make the side of it burn with pain.

"I know it doesn't, but at least give them a chance to do what…"

"Get out!"

"Tahir, will you at least…"

"I said get out! You are no friend of mine if you side with the enemy!" Tahir grabbed Jamal by the shirt, hauling him to his feet and throwing him out of the front door onto the dusty streets of Arentia.

"Perhaps you can accept what they _are_ doing, but I will never do so!" Tahir slammed his door hard enough that a vase topped from its shelf onto the ground. Looking over Tahir noted that it was the very vase he had given Talea as an anniversary present the previous year. Heavily he walked to it, slumping to his knees and picking up the sky-blue pieces one by one.

" _Talea, what am I to do?"_ he wept, clutching the pieces to his chest, the sharp edges cutting into his hands making them bleed. Looking up from where he knelt, he caught sight of Jamal's dagger still laying on the table as his eyes brightened.

 _"If those cultists won't do it, then I will."_

* * *

The rest of the journey back to Zakuman was silent. Three weeks went by as they traveled West through the desert into the mountainous region of Al Neth. Here it was rather cool during the summer months, but brutally cold with constant snow during the winter. Once arriving in Zakuman, the Aurora members were given cloaks to keep warm as the end of fall was fast approaching as they traveled to the gravesite alone. It was a few hours south from the city, but as they neared where the grave was kept, signs of life began to die away.

The bark of trees was dry, fewer and fewer songs of birds could be heard in the air that smelled foul, more so the further they ventured. Vieren caught sight of a few large wolves watching them from afar but seemed to not dare come closer.

"I'm so board and my feet are cold. Are we there yet?" Orchid asked, hunching over and drooping her arms as they walked through a light layer of snow. Dane halted the group, standing silent for a long while as he looked around the area.

"Master?" Mars asked, lowering his staff readying for battle.

"We're here." Dane answered, scanning the area. Vieren accidently found a small grave stone carved with a cross at the top of its rounded shape. Moss and snow clung to its face obscuring the words carved into it until he brushed it all away.

" _Here lie the lives of the Ragonians needlessly lost. May peace find them. This Stone is to serve as a reminder to what has happened here, that no man should forget all life is precious."_

Mars and Vieren held their Shining Rods to the ready, light dimly humming at their ends giving the surrounding area a cold but comforting glow.

"Is something going to happen or are we simply standing here all day?" Lotus asked when swells of dark shadows rippled just above the surface of the snow.

"Master Dane?" Vieren asked, the light on the end of his staff becoming brighter.

"Stay calm and keep your mind about you. The emotions making up this creature are intense." Dane answered, lowering his staff's head to the ground, but keeping it lit. The snow seemed to melt away as a creature's hand reached up from the ground, pulling the rest of its body up. Neon green veins crackled to life all over the creature's body as more and more of it pulled from the ground. The creature's second arm slumped to the ground, burning the snow around it into blackened ash. Paper tearing echoed in the small canyon as its eyes opened, green smoke sizzling from the corners.

"You com heya lookin fo a fight do ya?" the creature asked, though no mouth could be seen.

"No, we have come to heal the wounds that have manifest you." The creature threw back its head, putting a hand to his forehead and laughing loud enough to make small drifts of snow fall around them.

"You tink dat you ahr able to take me out? You mus be done stupid to tink dat." The creature laughed, swiping at Dane only to be stopped by Mars with a barrier of light.

"Da mans dat made me possible neva got what dey desaved. Dae sit in dare jails and dare stocks, but dae do not get da deht dat makes me up! And you tink dat I want some healing?!" Vieren stepped forward, lowering his staff as Dane had.

"What was done to you was horrible to be sure, but those that did this to you are long gone. They died many, many years…"

"DAE WERE STILL ALLOWED TO LIVE! DAE NEED TO HAVE DARE BLOOD SPILLED AS I HAD!" the creature bellowed.

"What justice is dare if da ones dat took da lives of me are allowed to live?!" Orchid and Lotus were about to step in, readying an attack but Dane held his hand out.

"Aw come on!" Orchid whined, shrinking back a bit when Dane gave her a look filled with molten daggers.

"If we were to simply outright kill everyone then the eventuality would lead to everyone killing everyone without reservation. There would be no justice at all." Dane answered. The creature clenched it hands, lowering it head and beginning to shake as black vapors began to seep from its back.

"Den your justice is not wert anyting!" the creature howled, swinging again at Dane only to be blocked by Lotus with his bare hand.

"That's it. I've had it! I'm bored and I want something to do! Orchid!" he shouted, the twins disappearing, kicking up snow where they had been a moment before. The creature began to twitch and reel as something was hitting it from multiple angles, driving its face into the ground as the twins reappeared.

"That was easy." Orchid said with a disappointed sigh.

"You fools!" Dane snapped, watching as the creature picked its head up off the ground, its bottom jaw splitting away in a jagged mouth. Its roar was enough to blow away loose flakes of snow in cutting clouds across their faces and hands.

"YOU HUMANS AHR ALL DA SAME! I HATE YOU ALL!" the creature bellowed with a shrill voice as a wave of Darkness exploded from it, enveloping everything around them. But the wave passed with nothing happening, or so it seemed.

Mars unfurled himself from his guarded position, looking over to Vieren and instantly lunging at him. Vieren gave a shout and he held up his staff and began to dual with Mars, blasts of light being directed into the walls and ground as they fought. Dane stood, stoic against the wave, gritting his teeth as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. Lotus and Orchid looked at each other and their own hands, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Hey. Hey Dane, what…"

"Don't talk to me filthy forest rats!" Dane answered between gritted teeth. Orchid and Lotus both raised an eyebrow, floating into the air before him.

"What did you call us?" Orchid asked, a plume of fire appearing in her palm.

"Wait." Lotus said, grabbing her arm and quelling the flame.

"This isn't Dane speaking."

"The words came out of his mouth!" Orchid exclaimed, holding another plume of flame in her other hand.

"No, this creature is the cause of it. Its infected their minds, making them hate each other. This creature is making them feel what it feels." Lotus answered, turning his attention back to the shadow creature where it sat watching the scene unfold before it.

"RELEASE THEM!" Lotus shouted, throwing a blast of magic at the creature. At first the Creature did nothing until the magic hit it, knocking it against the ground behind it, instantly freeing Dane, Mars and Vieren.

"What happened?" Vieren asked as he blinked his eyes quickly.

"No time! Get the creature before it gets you again!" Lotus exclaimed just as the creature was getting back up. Dane breathed hard, wiping his eye before holding out his hand with his palm to the creature.

"Mars, Vieren. Work with the twins and keep the creature busy. I will prepare the final blow." As he spoke, vapors from the creature began to gather in his palm slowly overtaking his mind once again with feelings of hate and greif. With a monumental effort of thought he reached into his bag and pulled the small crystal of solidified Darkness from it. With small squeeze, its power seeped through his hand allowing him to combat the emotions assaulting his mind.

Vieren and Mars both held their staves forward, light building then thundering from them, blowing holes through the creature. The creature howled, quickly getting to an upright position as it swung at them. Mars teleported away as Vieren stayed put, light erupting from his staff and halting the creature's immense hand. The creature's second hand blocked the light over Vieren as it was coming down but knocked away by Orchid with a blast of her own magic.

Mars and Lotus each took turns hammering the creature in the back, turning its attention on them with a swing of his hand. Lotus managed to teleport away, but Mars was unable to react. The brunt of the creature's hand slammed into his body, sending him flying back into a high drift of snow. Vieren turned his staff to the creature as spears of light shot through the creature's back. One of the small spears stuck into a finger of the creature, making it turn its attention back to him. Vieren smirked as he teleported away to reveal Orchid unleashing another blast of magic that spun the creature around. Mars met its spin with a blast of his own light, punching through the creature' head.

The creature caught sight of him, swinging its jagged hands down on him. Mars struggled to breath over the inferno of pain in his right leg, trying to teleport away again. But he was too slow as the creature's claws caught his leg. When Mars reappeared near Dane, he cried out as he watched the flesh of his leg begin to crumble into ash.

Dane struggled to make sure that he didn't succumb to the raging emotions surging through him when he caught sight of his leg. Memories of the Omen from the Darlaus Crusades flashed through his mind. It was really only with the power of Ariel that he managed to survive that. Would he or anyone at the Aurora have the strength to heal him?

"MASTER DA…" The shout caught his attention just long enough to see Vieren bitten clean through the chest by the creature. Orchid and Lotus both forged weapons from their magic, stabbing the creature though the head and freeing Vieren. But the damage had already been done as ash began floating up from his wounds.

"If you're gonna do something now's the time! We can't carry three people back to town!" Orchid shouted.

"Dare will be no justice for dem, just as dare was no justice fohr me." The creature growled, turning his attention back to Dane.

"And dare will be none fohr you edar, White Mage." The creature growled, raising its hand ready to strike. Dane willed himself to remain in control as he gathered the Darkness within himself, channeling it all through his love of Ariel. Holding his staff forward, the crystals howled with white light as sliver flames jetted from them. The wall of fire tore through its arm, enveloping the creature as it howled in pain.

"If we do not try rise above our base selves, there can never be justice! I release you of your hate and pain!" Dane bellowed as the light became brighter, stripping away all that remained of the creature into silence. Dane collapsed to the ground, heaving for breath as the hate and sorrow he had absorbed slowly dissipated.

"It's not enough. The Darkness of this place is not enough to vanquish the Darkness of the world." Dane heaved, looking up to see his comrades as they lay on the snow. Pulling himself to his feet, he stumbled to Vieren where he lay coughing for breath.

"I'm sorry Master Dane. I wasn't paying attention. Please look after…"

"Be still Vieren, you will be fine. You will be going home to Tasia yourself." Dane encouraged. Mars pulled himself up into a sitting position, easing the pain in his leg a bit with a healing spell.

"How is he Master?" Mars asked. But Dane said nothing as he tended to the wound of Vieren. But there was nothing he could do except watch as the ashes drifted up from his bite wounds. He needed Ariel's power to heal these wounds. Closing his eyes, Dane called the name of Ariel in his mind.

" _Yes, my love, I hear you._ " Dane shook his head in surprise. But decided to think about it later.

" _Ariel, can you channel your power through me? Two of my Clerics have been injured as I was by an Omen. I know you have the power to heal this kind wound…_ " The sound of Ariel's voice chuckled in his mind and he almost thought he felt a hand on his shoulder

" _All you need do is ask my love. The contract we forged offers many a benefit._ " Dane felt as if a hand were sliding down his arm until it rested atop his. With careful pressure, he placed his hand on the wounds

"This may sting a bit Viren."

"Do what you need. I will endure." Vieren seethed through clenched teeth. Dane nodded initiating a healing spell that felt hundreds of times more powerful, burning away all the corrupted flesh and healing over the wounds. He did the same for Mars, but he would walk with a limp and the Darkness had eaten away some of the muscle. Vieren too would have some scars where the teeth had punctured his skin, a side effect of the Darkness infection.

"Master, I'm sorry that…"

"There is no need to apologize Mars. This was my fault for not getting to you sooner. When we get back to Aurora, we need to find places that are darker. This and the grave of the Darlaus Crusades didn't have the power that we need to cleanse the world of the Darkness."

"But there is no other. There are only a few places left that we haven't been yet, and they hold the same amount of pain and sorrow as these."

"We _must_ search Mars. The Ultimate Light that we use, while a powerful tool, is not enough. I can use Darkness to enhance my Light, but even then, the result is only as strong as the Darkness from which it was drawn. We need to find the Ultimate Darkness. The Darkest of all history. Only from Ultimate Darkness, can the Ultimate Light be truly found."


	17. ST - Chapter 16: Meeting

Chapter 16: Meeting

Tahir huffed; escorting a trade caravan wasn't what he had in mind for himself. Especially since it was what he despised about the Aurora. But the declaration from that sect over seven years ago only steeled him. He _had_ to do it now. Everyone had to protect themselves since that sect wasn't doing so anymore. The worst part about it was the sect simply disappeared off the face of the world when it needed them most, especially with the steady rise in creatures shrouded in shadows appearing.

" _What does that even mean? Ultimate Light can only be found in Ultimate Darkness, what non-sense._ " His thoughts usually kept him occupied during the long trips as he acted as an escort for merchants and transports bringing in food from the Holy City of Orion. The famine that had hit nine years ago had seemed to slow down in its intensity but was still getting worse. Only Orion and a faraway continent known as the Edeal States were able to grow and produce enough food.

" _That sect disappearing didn't help matters at all._ " Tahir thought, looking over to the cart heavily laden with grain, potatoes and fresh water. Though Arentia was known for its natural spring of water around the palace, there wasn't enough flowing water to sustain all of the people of the city, thus fresh water would have to be brought in to supplement it. Wells dotting the city had either begun to run dangerously low or had begun to foul.

"My friend, are you doing alright? You seem lost in thought." The transport driver asked, scooting over in the seat to better hear Tahir speak

"Nothing that is of importance. My mind tends to wander during the long journeys." He answered, pulling up his scarf as a gust of wind passed them bringing stinging grains of sand with it. He tied it around his face in hopes that the driver would leave him be but was sadly disappointed.

"Ah yes, my mind too wanders at times like this. I often think of my Son and his family back home on the Isle of Maples. He has made a good home for himself there…" Tahir absently tuned out the driver, concentrating on his steps in the sand so as not to think about his own wife and daughter. Yes, time had helped to heal the pain of their loss but not the ire. His hand reached to his belt where his former friend's dagger hung reminding him of the vow that he took to protect those he could, and kill the clerics of the sect. His thoughts were interrupted when the foot of the driver punted his shoulder, nearly knocking him into the sand.

"What are you do…"

"Don't get so lost in your thoughts that you forego what I paid you for!" the driver shouted, pointing to something ahead of them. Tahir reached for his dagger and narrowed his eyes to better see the creatures coming towards them. There looked to be a swarm of creatures cloaked in shadows coming for them over the dunes. But the more that Tahir looked, the more that he realized the creatures were coming at them from all sides. The first scorpion-like creature burst from under the sand near the wagon, spooking the horse.

Tahir clambered over the cart, drawing his dagger and plunging it into where he thought the heart would be. The creature reared and squealed in pain, swinging massive claws and stinger armed tail, trying to hit Tahir before slumping to the ground. He pulled his dagger out just as a group of impossibly large desert wasps came buzzing down. Tahir swung his dagger left and right, drawing a small sword from his hip and cutting through the wasps with ease.

"GET THIS CART MOVING!" Tahir screamed, jamming his dagger through the chest of another scorpion.

"I can't! There are too many ahead of us!" The driver called back, struggling to keep the horse under his control. Tahir growled as he jumped in front of the horse, stabbing and cutting through the creatures that came at them. As he killed the last one he slapped the horse's flank, instantly lurching the cart into motion bolting for the gate of Arentia. Tahir took up a position on the cart, standing haphazardly on a sack of wheat and potatoes, cutting through the wasps and scorpions that came near enough. The cart hit a rock in the path, jolting Tahir off the cart into a waiting scorpion's tail that pierced into his bicep, swelling as poison flooded it. Tahir shouted in pain and anger, slicing through the stinger to cut it off. He began running for the cart as a dozen wasps gave chase. The scorpion's claws snapped at him as he ran but only missed him as he ran until a second scorpion tried to tackle him. The scorpions collided and began to fight as Tahir made it back to the cart, cutting through the wasps that were giving chase.

As they neared the threshold of Arentia, the creatures suddenly stopped pursuing, acting as if they were in pain. Tahir looked back with curiosity at their behavior when he noticed movement on a dune some distance away. It almost looked as if a person dressed in a dark cloak turned and left. Was someone watching them?

The throbbing in his arm brought him back to his current situation. With one quick motion, Tahir pulled out what remained of the stinger, then cut through the skin on his bicep. Thick black goop oozed from it like pus making him gag as it poured onto the sands. The smell made it even worse; rotting flesh mixed with burning hair. With pure force of will, Tahir squeezed out what remained, sucking out the last bit, doing so making him vomit.

"Are you alright my friend? Did one of those creatures get you?"

"It's nothing, just a scratch." He answered, wiping his lip a rinsing his mouth with water from his water skin.

"That is no scratch. I can smell it from here, and we have a head wind." The driver pressed. Tahir ignored him, taking a cloth from his knapsack and wrapping his arm.

"I'm fine. I'll see a healer once we have the food delivered." He barked, noting that his arm was beginning to itch. Maybe it was just the effects of the poison in his arm.

" _A healer should be able to give me an antidote and I'll would be fine_." He thought. But the sight of that thick black goo pouring from his arm had him worried. He'd been stung before, bitten even, but none of the creatures had anything like this. In fact, thinking back over the creatures he had killed, something seemed different about them.

" _Now that I think about it, the creatures on the last few escorts that I have encountered have been changing as well._ " The thought stuck with him until they arrived at the market place where people from all over the city came to purchase what had be brought. Within an hour, the cart was empty.

"Well, that didn't last long." Tahir grumbled, absently scratching his arm taking note that not only was it itching more, but it was beginning to feel warm.

"It never does my friend. Here is the remainder of your payment." The driver said, holding out a small pouch with coins in it. Tahir grabbed it away, pouring its contents into the pouch on his belt.

"Aren't you going to count it?" the driver asked. Tahir only tied the empty bag up and gave it back to the driver.

"When are you leaving next?" he asked bluntly. The driver waved his hand.

"I won't be leaving for another couple days. But there is a merchant friend of mine named Halsar. I received a message from him asking if I knew of any mercenaries that would do him a favor."

"What is he paying?"

"He didn't say but knowing him, he is paying well. I received the message while I was in Orion, and he said that by the time we returned, he would be renegotiating a trade deal with the king for transporting food from the Edeal States. He might even still be in the palace." Tahir nodded with an agitated sigh. He didn't like merchants to begin with as they were all greedy, fat men. But the work would keep his mind busy which is really what he wanted. Once he had signed his contract with the driver signifying the job was complete, he headed straight to the healer's. His sting wound was really beginning to ache and the itching was so bad that he had scratched his skin raw. It was a deep internal itch that couldn't be reached from the surface of his skin.

" _Something worse is going on here._ " He thought. The healer gave Tahir an antidote and put ointment on the wound calming the itching and burning. Additionally, the healer gave him a small jar of salve to apply until the wound had healed over. With that taken care of, he made his way to the palace in search of this merchant. He was allowed in, escorted by the captain of the guard Tigun to the conference room where two more guards stood on either side of the finely carved door.

"He should be in here. The conference sounds as if it is still in progress, but I'm sure you can be allowed in. Should you need anything, please tell the guards here." Tigun instructed before leaving back for the main gate. Tahir nodded his thanks and entered, taking a seat in the back and scanning the room of those present. There was the king and queen, the prince, what appeared to be an advisor or two, and a chubby wealthy looking man sitting across the from the king and queen. Taking a seat, Tahir drowned out the conversation with his own thoughts which turned to the creatures he had faced. There was something ghoulish about them, almost as if they weren't alive. And the smell they exuded if you got too close; the pang of rotting meat and old wood. What would cause such a thing to happen to live creatures?

His thoughts were soon cut short when the meeting looked as if it had ended and the wealthy man began walking towards the door Tahir had come in.

"Excuse me, would you happen to be Halsar?" The man stopped and half nodded, half bowed to him.

"I am he. What can I do for you good sir?"

"I was sent here by a friend of yours. He tells me that you are having some trouble with your trade route and are looking for some way to alleviate that problem." Halsar smacked his lips and he began speaking once more.

"Ah, yes. Walk with me to my office, I will explain on the way." Halsar smiled, holding his hand forward for Tahir to walk through the door before him.

"As my friend has said I am having trouble with my trade route to Arentia. And while I do need help with it, it does not solve the larger problem."

"I don't like riddles. What is it that you need?" Tahir asked, already regretting taking up the offer for the job. Halsar Looked to him for a moment then let out a hearty laugh.

"I like your fire. What is your name?"

"I am Tahir."

"Very well then Tahir. The larger problem are the creatures that have been attacking not only my wagons, but also fellow merchants and friend. of mine. It has steadily been getting worse. What I need you to do is find someone for me." Tahir raised an eyebrow as they neared Halsar's merchant office, standing at the door as he reached into his coat and pulled a finely crafted brass key from it.

"I'll have you know that while I do on occasion kill, I am not an assassin." Halsar opened the door, looking back to him with a horrified look on his face.

"Good heavens! No! I am asking you to search for someone that could put a stop to this whole thing." Halsar exclaimed, lighting a lamp and quickly lighting others around the main room where thy had entered. Tahir narrowed his eyes; there had been a group that promised that very thing seven years ago. Was there another man besides them?

"Have you heard of one called 'The White Mage'?" Halsar asked. Tahir searched his memory for mention of the name, but nothing came to mind as he shook his head.

"He was said to have been a great mage, helping people whenever he could. A mage that could use light as his power; it was even said he could touch the sun itself and not burn. It is he that could stop these creatures making trouble for all us merchants. But no one knows where to find him, or even if he exists. There are those that say they've met him, some even living here in Arentia. But so much time has gone by that many are considering him nothing more than a folk tale." The mention of light made Tahir sneer to himself, still holding on to the rage he harbored towards that sect.

"And you want me to go and find him. If this man is as great as you say he is, why would he want to come and work for you? Why would he even consider it?"

"For something as sweet as the clink of money, anyone would do anything. Wealth is a weakness shared by all, even myself, ha ha ha!" Halsar laughed. But Tahir kept a straight face.

"If you find him, bring him back here and I will pay you three times your weight in gold. Here is a down payment for supplies and traveling expenses." Halsar chortled, holing out a rather large bag of coins and dropping it in Tahir's hand. It was at least twice what Hilda had paid him, and he still had the majority of that on him. But searching for someone like this White Mage without any leads could be a difficult and long journey.

"Very well, I accept. Payment will only come if and when I find him and bring him back here to you."

"Then let it be." Halsar bellowed, holding out his hand as Tahir shook it firmly. Halsar drew up a contract with the stated payment schedule which they both signed. Tahir then took a day to gather supplies, making sure that he had food and water to last at least a week's worth. Though it came a quite a cost since the food stuffs that had been brought were being carefully rationed. As he gathered supplies, he made small talk with the towns folk, finding out who it was that had supposedly met this illusive "White Mage" and where he might be found.

Some of the stories that he heard said that he was a lover to the last fairy in Usoria living near a massive tree in the center of the continent. Others said that he had traveled to the forests of Elinda, west of that central tree. Still others said that he had disappeared into a wooded area near the East Dragon Forest. It might take him the whole year, perhaps longer, to search that much ground alone.

"Then again, this is for the greater good." He muttered, just as the sun was coming up on the next day. He put on his back pack, locked the door to his house and set out for the rumored central tree. The food he had purchased would be enough to see him to a trading post to the north, but it would be a lonely journey. Luckily, there were other merchants or travelers at the post who were heading in the direction Tahir was going. While traveling with them, he asked of their knowledge of the White Mage. Some offered information directing him towards the East Dragon Forest. Most only repeated legends or told new ones that he hadn't yet heard.

The central tree left him speechless at its size, learning that the tree itself was said to be the home of the Deity of Life, Haim. With some careful wording and a little bit of luck, he found Haim himself. After some conversation, Tahir found that Haim personally knew The White Mage, confirming many of the leads he had found; it was to the East Dragon Forest that he would need to go.

For the next three months, Tahir offered his blade in service to many merchants and travelers heading in the general direction he aimed for. Many times, his travels and contracts would bring him close to his goal, only to take him away again. At last he stepped to the edge of the forest in the abandoned city of Lefra. So many travels had brought him to this point, as well as many stories from many people that said about White Mage helping them in their time of need.

"Perhaps there is more to this than mere legend." Tahir chuckled to himself. Regardless of his arrival, there was still a vast forest to search according to the maps that he brought with him. And that could take years, time that he felt that he didn't have. There was also the reminder of his arm as he reached up to absently massage it. Over time he had been applying the salve to ease the itching, but the antidote he has received either wasn't working, or there was more damage to his arm than he realized.

Every time he pulled away the bandage to apply more salve, he would notice there were wet flakes of something within the wound. Sometimes he swore he could see small wisps of what he swore was ash drifting up from the wound. It may not be good, but it wasn't slowing him down either at this point. Perhaps this White Mage would be able to do something about it.

" _I should start by looking for that fairy that was his lover. She might know where to find him._ " He thought, stepping into the forest trying to determine where a fairy like that would even be. Every fairy was exterminated well before he was born, at least that is what he thought. For nearly an hour he searched for any kind of sign to indicate where this fairy was, finally leaning against an old and split tree to catch his breath. No sooner had he begun to lean against it than it moved away. Light began to emanate from cracks in the wood, giving the whole place a chilling blue green glow.

"What is your business in the forest, human." A low, resonant voice asked. The tree turned around revealing glowing eyes. Tahir backed away in a leap, drawing his dagger ready to fight.

"I-I-I-I- come seeking the White Mage. I was told that I might find him here." The tree creature creaked as it turned to face him full on, its long arms swinging to the front where carvings created a vest-like design on its body.

"It has been many moons since I have heard that name. But alas, you will not find him here."

"Then can you tell me where I _can_ find him?" Tahir asked his hand still shaking, barely holding on to his dagger.

"The last I spoke to him, he had moved into the Forest of Peace. It is there that almost no light shines, and where he said that he would best be able to study Darkness. It is also there that he took two of my forest spirits." The creature creaked, pointing east through the trees that had grown tightly together, even more so further in.

"Thank you. I shall be on my way then." Tahir answered, poking himself twice before finally being able to sheath his dagger. The creature said nothing, only watched him as he moved on through the trees until he was out of sight. Three more days passed of him trekking through the forest, but his going was slow and he began to see creatures shrouded in a black mist of smoke.

They smelled the same as the creatures he had encountered in the desert, but these seemed to be creatures made of inanimate objects: rocks, trees, mosses and mushrooms.

" _What could possibly make something like this?_ " He thought, trying to avoid them. Some of them found him, instantly becoming violent. After he would fight them off, he began noticing that the dull ache in his arm was becoming more and more of a hard, throbbing pain.

Tearing off the bandage, Tahir was surprised so see the flesh around the wound almost black in color. The rest was cherry red, swollen and beginning to ooze pus. From inside the wound itself, black flakes of what appeared to be ash began to float out. Taking a flint and steel out of his bag he quickly lit a small branch and held it to his dagger, heating the blade and burning away what was stuck to it. With clenched teeth he used the searing hot blade to cut away the blackened flesh, digging out what appeared to be turning to ash and searing the bleeding flesh closed.

It took a few rounds of heating, digging and pressing, but eventually he cut it all off. After tearing off a clean strip of cloth from one of his spare shirts, he wrapped the wound once again. The flesh was still tender, but at least now it didn't ache as badly. On through the forest he trekked, miles upon miles behind him with unknown miles before him. More and more of the ghoulish creatures began to appear around him, and each time he would fight them off. But the further he traveled, the more he began to feel an anger burning within him.

Thoughts of his wife and daughter came to him, as each swing of his dagger became harder and wilder against the underbrush and against the creatures he faced. Sweat ran from his brow, running into his eyes until he couldn't tell which was sweat and which were tears. Still the miles passed, still the creatures came, and still the rage and sorrow welled within him. Adding to this, the burning is his arm was back, this time even more intense than it had been before.

He was about to try and cut away the blackened flesh again, but as he worked, the flesh would just begin to blacken as quickly as he cut it away. Ash began to constantly float up from the wound now, slowly infesting the rest of his arm as he crawled through the underbrush. Eventually he lost the ability to even lift his arm as whatever was eating away at his muscle burned away enough that he could see his own bone. Blood began to leak from the surrounding skin as an aggressive infection spread up his arm. It'd only been three days since he entered the forest, but it might as well have been weeks for him.

As he walked, his steps became heavy, dragging along the ground catching on vines and branches. With each step his feet became heavier and his head lighter, swaying as he walked until he at last collapsed to the ground. He tried to sit himself upright, but all the strength in his body had since left him.

" _Is this it? Am I really going to die here? How pathetic."_ He thought, reaching up to his chest and hold up the locket, popping open the cover to see his wife and daughter again.

"Talea, Farah. I'll be seeing you soon." He whispered, as his blurring vision caught sight of another shadowy creature coming towards him, fangs dripping with thick black liquid. Closing his eyes, he waited for the creature's fangs to plunge into his skin. Instead he heard a loud hum blow past him, annihilating the creature in a blaze of white light. Tahir was too weak to turn his head but as his awareness faded from him, he saw what appeared to be a man in a black robe walk up to him.

"Please sir, I need… to find… the White… mage." Tahir passed out, dropping his head to the ground. The man smirked, leaning down and pulling the black and gold cloak from around him to use as a blanket for the man on the ground.

* * *

Tahir stirred to awareness with a slow groan. His arm still had a dull ache in it, but he couldn't feel the hole that was in it before. Opening his eyes more, he found himself in what appeared to be a relatively expensive looking room. He had been changed into clean linens, and his clothes lay beside his bed, washed and folded neatly on the floor.

He was about to get out of the soft bed when the door opened and a man with long white hair stepped through carrying a tray laden with bottles of colored liquid, herbs, cloth and a mortar and pestle.

"Oh, you are awake. That is a good sign. If I had not found you when I did, I doubt you would have survived the night. What is your name and what were you doing so deep in the Dragon Forest?" the man asked. Tahir eyed him carefully, noting that his dagger was with his clothes. But the man seemed unarmed, so perhaps there was no real danger to be worried about.

"My name is Tahir, and I am in search of someone." He answered, looking more around the room.

"This is a rather lavish room for someone living alone." Tahir said with a snippet of distain. The man smiled, taking a bottle and pouring a clear liquid into the mortar before adding a bit of crushed herbs to it and mixing the two together.

"Oh, but I am not alone. There are many Clerics and Acolytes here with me as well. It is my home yes, but it is far from being only that. Whom are you looking for if I may ask?" the man asked as he ground the herbs more vigorously. Tahir looked around the room more thoroughly, noticing a symbol mounted on the wall opposite the bed on which he rested.

"I've come here searching for someone called 'The White Mage'. Reliable sources have told me he lives in these woods somewhere." Looking more closely at the symbol he recognized it as the crest of the sect that he so hated; the Aurora.

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find him would you? Cleric of the Aurora." Tahir asked with contempt. The man smiled sadly as he came over to Tahir, took the bandage from his arm and replaced it with a mixture-soaked cloth. As he changed it, Tahir noted that the wound was nearly healed, save for what appeared to be a small circular scar.

"I am Dane, Leader of the Order of Aurora, known also as The White Mage. Welcome Tahir."


	18. ST - Chapter 17: Respect

Chapter 17: Respect

Stunned silence filled the room for what felt like ages as Dane tended to his wound. Tahir slowly clenched his hand opposite Dane, gripping the sheet hard enough that it began to tear on his fingers. Blood rushed through his body in molten waves as his hair stood on end. Tahir's eyes became wide as he pursed his lips while sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"You…"

"Pardon?" Dane asked, finishing the dressing and looking Tahir in the eye.

"You are the one..." Tahir whispered. Dane lowered his brow, holding out his hand as a dark mist pulled from Tahir into his palm.

"I see. Your Darkness holds much pain…"

"Shut up! You know nothing of the pain _you_ caused!" Tahir seethed, trembling as his grip on the bed sheet tightened further, digging into his palm.

"How is it you come to blame me?" Dane asked, clenching his hand around the small ball of mist until it disappeared.

"You and those that follow you wasted your time escorting the rich when you should have been protecting us from those things!" Tahir rolled out of the bed, grabbing up his dagger and knocking Dane to the ground, holding the dagger to his throat.

"If you had been doing what you were supposed to then my wife and daughter would still be here!" With a swift wrench of his arm, Tahir readied to plunge it into Dane's chest, only to hit the ground when Dane teleported away.

"Why?! Why weren't you there for her?!" he screamed, lunging after Dane once again. Dane palmed the knife away from its path, slipped it from his grip then pinned Tahir to the wall. He said nothing, as Tahir writhed and flailed under his grip.

"Why! Why why why why why?!" he screamed, his voice eventually giving out from the strain and relaxing his struggle. Dane released him, turning him around with a serious yet kind stare.

"I know the pain you feel, for I have been there once myself. But you cannot let it consume you." Tahir slumped, his horse voice speaking in only a whisper.

"Why did you save my life? I was on the verge of seeing my family again. Why bring me here and keep me from seeing them."

"I didn't bring you here. I found you on the steps of our chapel after a knock came to the door. You were badly hurt from a wound inflicted by an Omen. And those wounds take careful treatment, else they will fester into ash the way your arm had." Dane let out a sigh, retrieving the dagger he had thrown to the floor and held it back to him, handle first.

"Take a day and rest. Your journey it appears has been long. When you are rested you are free to leave or to stay." He said kindly and Tahir took the dagger back and Dane left him in the room alone.

" _My enemy and my savior. One in the same._ " He thought, staring down at the dagger in his hand. He was still furious, torn between his aching heart and his sense of duty. In the meantime, he would take up the offer to rest. Tomorrow he would at least try to convince The White Mage to come with him back to Arentia and speak with his contractor merchant.

* * *

"Master Dane, do you think it wise to leave the weapon with him? He did try to cut your throat with it after all." Vieren asked.

"Let him be Vieren. He has experienced a great loss and has yet to have that pain healed. His pain is dangerously close to becoming a festering well that will never heal, and the Darkness has nearly taken him completely. We must do all we can to ensure the healing of that wound." Dane replied, walking into his lab past the Stalactite Crystal chandelier that served as an information depository. As they walked, the sound of Mars's voice bellowing in the halls caught them.

"Master I insist that you do something about your daughter! She has interrupted my class numerous occasions today and is making it nigh impossible to teach the day's lesson." Mars huffed, dragging the early teen with him by the arm.

"You've been teaching one of the fundamentals of general magic wrong! Of course, I'm going to interrupt you!" she said, flinging back her platinum hair and straightening her Greek inspired robes.

"Rhinne, how any times have I ask you to wait to voice your concerns until after the class?" Dane asked, kneeling down to her level and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Enough times that I've lost count." Rhinne pouted, crossing her arms and looking away from Dane.

"I know you are more powerful and understand magic in a much different way. But you must remember that we down here in Usoria don't have your abilities." Rhinne pursed her lips harder, looking further away from Dane with an almost comical scowl.

"Now then, what is this fundamental of magic that Mars is teaching wrong?" Dane asked as Mars spluttered and stuttered.

"Master, I have…" Dane held his palm to him, silencing his protest.

"Mars here says that all magic is only usable by harnessing the power within your own body to direct energy of the world through your mind and shaping it into the desired spell. But that's wrong! You use and shape mana that comes from your life force to empower and shape a spell. That then alters the world around it into the desired effect." Rhinne explained, swinging her hands in multiple ways to show diagrams of the human body and where points of energy exist within the body. Dane studied the diagrams for a moment before kneeling don to Rhinne's level once again.

"I am sure that your explanation is correct. But once again, you and your mother's powers are far greater than that of we humans here in Usoria. It stands to reason that the way you use and empower magic will be different as well." Dane explained. Rhinne crossed her arms and huffed, reluctantly agreeing to what Dane said, following after some acolytes after she had been dismissed.

"I still find it hard to believe she is a teenager after only been seven years." Mars muttered to Dane, watching her leave.

"You do remember that Time moves differently while she is with her mother." Dane replied distantly, beginning to turn for his lab once more, at which Mars and Vieren followed.

"Yes, but it is still hard to wrap my head around." Mars answered.

"Please excuse me Master Dane, I have some business I need to attend to." Vieren called, waving to the two of them as he left. Mars became serious as they neared Dane's lab, speaking in low tones while Dane searched for his key.

"How goes the research?" Dane sighed deeply, leaning his head against the door with a solid thud.

"There is still much to know. I can't _make_ it darker, I can only add more. Light can still be produced, but I have hit a wall in how much power I can gain from it. I'm sure I'll be able to get passed it in time." Dane smiled, unlocking the room and opening the door.

"Shall I have some food brought to you later?" Mars asked, at which Dane nodded and closed the door behind him.

* * *

The next day, Tahir awoke to the sound of acolytes training in the front yard, letting out hard yells as they moved through stances with their staff weapons. Going to the window, Tahir pressed his face against it to see the acolytes in the dull glow coming from the surrounding crystals. Sometimes as they moved, the whole group's staves would light up with bright white bursts temporarily blinding him.

Once his curiosity was satisfied, he reached for his clothes, put on his dagger and adjusted the pendant hanging around his neck. As he held it up, he thought back to the man dressed in the black a gold cloak. Was it that man whom he should thank for bringing him here? If so, where would he find him? His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his stomach groan.

" _I supposed I should eat something, and then I'll have a look around. I don't want to stay here too long and risk losing my contract._ " He thought, walking out into the hall where a few clerics of the order were walking from room to room. Some carrying what appeared to be vials of a dark substance. Others were carrying stacks of books or scrolls to and fro. Unsure of where he could go for food, he asked one of the passing clerics which incidentally was heading that way himself to meet his wife for breakfast.

"I am Vieren, one of the leading Clerics here in Aurora." The ceric said extending his hand which Tahir took in response.

"Tahir. Tell me, why is it that you disappeared seven years ago? The world has only gotten worse since your abandoning the world." Tahir answered with a sneer. Vieren nodded and sighed.

"It was a gamble we all took with Master Dane. Mars and I are teaching the Acolytes here how to harness and use light to combat Omens. We find them from time to time within the Forest of Peace, and have dispatched them."

"Then why don't you take that knowledge out into the world and held defend it! There are people dying daily from their attacks! All of you have so much power that could make the world a better place, and yet you hide yourselves away here in this forest doing what?!" Tahir snapped, his teeth clenched as his voice echoed off the marble walls.

"We have been studying how to find and harness the Ultimate Light so that we may use it to purge the world of Darkness."

"The world needs you _now_!"

"Yes, I know. But Master Dane has also been studying how to use Darkness to enhance the light we _can_ use."

"So, what's the hold up? Use this Darkness to power your light and wipe out the Darkness."

"It is not so simple. The Darkness that permeates the world is thousands of times more powerful than even Master Dane is capable of combating. We must find the Ultimate Darkness and use that to empower our light." Tahir lowered his brow, his hand ever close to the handle of his dagger. But there was something about what Vieren was saying that made him never fully reach for it to slay this cleric.

As he sat with him and his wife for the morning meal, Vieren explained the basis for their research, what the Ultimate Light was and how despite the light's power, still wasn't enough to overcome the Darkness as a whole. As they spoke, he also watched the interactions between Vieren and his wife, noting that there was a well-defined area around them where the air and the world seemed lighter. After his wife left, Tahir prodded Vieren for more information about this Ultimate Light. It was intriguing that a couple could be the source of this light and that the feelings one felt while together, or even apart, is what gave these Cleric's their power.

"But what of people that aren't part of this… this… sect. Are they able to produce this light?" Vieren chuckled a bit as Tahir called them a sect but answered.

"In fact, all humans can create this light. We've found it doesn't necessarily come exclusively from couples. It can come from family, friends, even pets. Though the light coming from couple is the most potent." Tahir's face slowly fell as realization came over him.

"Can the light protect against Darkness without using it as a weapon?" He asked, his voice becoming serious.

"Yes. In fact we have found in most cases it can stave off or eliminate most lesser forms of Darkness." Tahir slumped back in his chair, pushing his hand through his hair as his breathing became fast.

"It wasn't you that was responsible for their deaths. It was me." Tahir whispered, putting his other had through his hair but barely making it through as the strength left his arms, His whisper might as well have been a shout in the quiet meal hall; chills began to run up his spine and the color drain from his face.

"It was me. It was me the whole time!" Tahir wailed, burying his face in his hands shaking hard as the thought continued to spread through his mind like a cancer. The world fell away from him and all he could hear were his words repeating over and over in his mind that he was responsible for their deaths. Everything around him sounded as if it were far away in a dark room.

"It was me, it was me the whole time!" he muttered to himself, clutching at his face with his fingers until a strong hand wrenched him into the upright position and a burst of light exploded in his eyes. When the rainbows he saw finally faded, a girl was standing before him with Dane standing off to the side.

"Tahir, Look at me. Tell me what has made you so distressed in clear and precise words."  
Dane instructed. Tahir began to explain in a convoluted flood of words when Dane gripped his shoulder hard, harder than he thought physically possible for a mage.

"Slow down. Tell me what is troubling you, slowly." Dane commanded. Tahir took a ragged breath and tried to once again explain.

"I asked Vieren to explain to me what Ultimate Light was, and after he did I asked if normal people could make this light. He said we could and that light can just passively erase darkness. It then made me realize that I wasn't anywhere near my beloved Talea when they were attacked." Dane gently squeezed his shoulder again to stop him, looking him dead in the eye.

"Why were you away from her?" Dane asked.

"We had just had a fight, what about I can't remember, and I left to cool my head. But I do remember clearly telling her that if she were truly a worthy wife she would have done what I asked. It was me. I was the one that killed her by dimming the light we shared. I…"

"Tahir, look to me." Dane commanded, Slowly Tahir turned towards him once again struggling to maintain eye contact.

"Ultimate Light is not so easily dimmed. The light you made with your wife is with you even now. Why the Darkness was able to come that close to your wife and daughter I do not know. But you are not the cause of their deaths. It is possible that if the Aurora had been nearby she might have been saved, or she might have still died. But you need to know and remember, her death is _not_ your fault." Tahir slumped, collapsing into his hands as his tears began to flow. Dane dismissed the other Clerics that had gathered, staying there until he was sure that Tahir would be able to talk once more.

"Tell me about your Talea. What was she like?" Dane asked, almost gently. Tahir wiped his eyes and began to speak despite his sniffling. He talked of how they had met, their lengthy and rocky courtship, and their eventual marriage that brought his daughter. It stung, but he felt as if there was a small bit of hope coming back into his life. A spark of light that he had almost forgotten about. As he spoke, he could almost feel that Dane had been through something similar as he would as a question or remind him of his innocence.

With some counsel from some of the other clerics, he was able to work through the pain that he had accumulated over the years. It was hard as he would often fall back to blaming the order or blaming himself for the deaths of his wife and daughter. But the experience made him stronger, stronger than he thought he could even be. Once he was sure of himself, Tahir explained his reason for coming to find him. Dane acknowledged his purpose but said that his quest couldn't be abandoned. There was still much to know, and time was beginning to run short.

Over time, Tahir began to harbor a sense of respect for the White Mage, and for his daughter Rhinne. Their goal was lofty to be sure, but it was a worthy goal that was aimed at helping the entirety of Usoria. He made the choice to stay with the Aurora, helping where he could in order to accelerate results in their study and practice of Light Magic. There were times when Dane would disappear for a week or two, and it was explained that he would go to visit Rhinne's mother, The Goddess of Time Ariel. Tahir was floored: this man was not only a lover to he last fairy in all of Usoria, but also to one of the three deities that oversaw all of Usoria itself.

" _How lofty is this man's power_?" Tahir wondered. Time passed with ease, coming to know Rhinne, and the twins, Orchid and Lotus well. He could see why Dane chose Forest of Peace, and now held a slight admiration for the man. Perhaps this man, this White Mage, could save the world. His research results were promising as larger and more powerful Omens would be easily obliterated.

Still, there was a nagging sense that something was wrong here. Why was it hat Mars was so insistent that Dane remain undisturbed in his laboratory? Why was he constantly locked in there for days on end? What were the screams he heard coming from the lab while he was in there? He would have to know one day, but for now, he would respect the wishes of the Order and do what he could to help advance the studies done here.

* * *

"We've come quite a long way since you provided us the means for power. This Darkness is an amazing thing." Hilda cooed, resting her arms on the darkly dressed man that lay back on her chest.

"You must also remember that Darkness is not something to be taken lightly Hilda. That which I learned from The Magus said that it can be fickle." The man replied sighing and adjusting slightly into a more comfortable position, laying his head over and closing his eyes. Hilda softly kissed the top of his head, running her fingers through his black hair, careful to avoid touching his horns.

"That may be so. But it is still a great source of power. With it we are nearing the completion of a means for eternal life." She whispered as her lips hovered just over his scalp. The man said nothing as he reached up and placed a hand on hers, gripping it slightly as he fell asleep. Hilda chuckled; it was a strange thing to see him fall asleep like that, especially when he lay on her chest in her arms, but it was still rather pleasant.

He was strong, much stronger than any man she had ever known, a fact made all the more prominent as her gaze turned to his large sword resting on the ground. He was a man always on edge, constantly vigilant against a foe, assassin, or otherwise. Over the course of the previous months, she seemed to slowly gain his trust. And now he was even turning his back to her and falling asleep in her arms. Did he really trust her that much?

His other hand slid down to her thigh, making her shudder just a bit at his touch. Yes, she had just about abandoned all hope of finding love ever again ever since her heart had been crushed by the people of Azwan. But perhaps, even as damaged as she was, she could find something like love with this man here. She reached over to the side, pulling his black and gold cloak over the two of them as a blanket, holding him tighter against her as she adjusted herself slightly, beginning to fall asleep herself under the comforting weight he pressed on her. There would be more to do, Arkarium would make sure of that. But for now, this was all she needed.

"Sleep well, Magnus."


	19. ST - Chapter 18: Unraveling

Chapter 18: Unraveling

"It's not ENOUGH!" roared Dane slamming his fists down hard on his table making various bottles, beakers and vials jump. Collapsing to his elbows, he gripped his head hard while running his fingers through his hair pulling stands from his scalp.

"What is it that I'm missing?!" he growled, staring hard at the vial of Darkness he had just gathered in the previous days. This vial came from the forests that were witness to The Cleansing. Fear and confusion ruled in this Darkness. Dane had tried to cleanse this darkness as he had done with the Darlus Crusades and the Ragonian Slaves. But this Darkness was different, creating multiple beings instead of one mass of pain and fear.

Gathering that Darkness was nearly was the end of he and Mars, but thanks to the healing provided by Rhinne their lives were spared. The scars however, would remain for all time. Now that he had his sample, Dane had been trying for weeks to convert this Darkness into power for Light. But with each attempt the Light would start out powerful only to be quickly corrupted and manifest as dark chain spears. Mounting pressure of the world's state was beginning to weigh on him. He needed the answer soon so that Rhinne would have the tools needed to eradicate the Darkness once and for all.

"What's the matter? Got stuck?" Orchid's voice asked, sauntering into the Lab through the wall with Lotus right behind. The two of them had grown into teenagers, athletic in build and to a point could almost be mistaken for Dane's children.

"Patronizing speech is not helping me in anyway…"

"I'm not patronizing you. I'm asking a legitimate question. Are you stuck?" Orchid asked, walking around behind him and snatching up the vial of Darkness.

"That is from The Cleansing, isn't it?" Lotus asked flatly, walking up to the other side of Dane, looking at the vial in Orchid's hand.

"That it is. For whatever reason, I cannot use this Darkness to empower Light, it simply corrupts it." Orchid turned it this way and that, putting it up to her ear for a moment listening to the faint cries and screams within.

"Well, for one thing, this Darkness is actually stronger than anything you've faced so far. But the thing about this stuff is that it's made up of two very synergetic emotions. Fear can make one confused, and the more confused you are, the more fear you have."

"It is a constant cycle." Lotus continued. "If you are to use _this_ Darkness, you must constantly overpower its synergetic property at every stage. This will be a most powerful thing once you are able to constantly overpower it." Lotus continued. Dane sat back in his chair, taking the vial from Orchid and reaching for a second vial marked 'hate' across a white label in neat writing.

"If I can isolate this property, then I should be able to empower so much more Darkness and bring me that much closer to the Ultimate Darkness." Dane answered, his eyes smiling. But there was a slight malevolence in it.

"Hey now, don't let this Darkness stuff get the better of you. You are better than that." Orchid said, tapping his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"There is nothing to fear. I feel closer than I have ever felt in all my years studying Darkness." He assured them. But Lotus and Orchid both felt that there was something wrong: Dane was beginning to unravel.

* * *

Over the past year if his stay, The Order of Aurora included Tahir in more of their outings to suppress the Omens. The Order went so far as to even accept him as an honorary member. It was all rather strange to him, especially when he found himself giving more and more respect to the members of The Order; he even stopped calling them a sect.

However, despite the respect Tahir felt for the White Mage and the Order, he did harbor a lingering distrust. There was something the majority of the Aurora was either unaware of, or willfully ignorant of. Tahir began to notice that Dane would emerge from his lab tired and gaunt. Sometimes he would hear screams and shouts. At times he would attempt to go into the lab and check on Dane but would always be stopped by Mars. Even when Tahir was sure Mars was at least out of earshot of the door, the man seemed to appear from this air.

"Don't you find it strange? Have you ever wondered what it is he is up to in there?" Tahir asked one day after having nearly picked the lock to go in.

"It must be an effect of the Darkness that he faces to find the Ultimate Darkness. Have faith in the Master as I do that he _will_ find an answer." Mars replied. Still, Tahir remained vigilant, taking note of the times that Dane did come out of his lab and how he appeared. The outtings with The Order's Acolytes kept his mind from Dane. But as time passed, he couldn't ignore the rise is frequency and number of the Omens.

At first, it was one or two every few days, then it was one every couple of days. It increased slowly to one per day, then two, then three, four, five eventually becoming so numberous that entire squadrons were created and dispatched multiples times per day. Even with the Cleric's extensive training in light magic, it became increasingly difficult to dispel them. Once on patrol with his troupe, the Omen that was dispelled revealed that it was entirely made of Darkness. Usually a badly decomposed body would be left behind after the Darkness had been beaten and dispelled. But this creature had no body to leave behind.

"This is something that we can't ignore. The master _must_ be informed at once!" one of the acolytes announced.

"Wait." Tahir commanded. Walking to the area where the creature had been standing a moment before, he held his palm to the burnt star of soot on the ground.

"Careful Commander. We don't know what kind of power created that…that… thing! I don't think we can even call it an Omen anymore."

"Be quiet." Tahir barked, narrowing his eyes as he held his hand out over the center of the soot stain.

"I could be wrong about this, but isn't there supposed to be a momentary lifting of the Darkness from the area after we dispel it?" The Acolytes and Clerics thought, all concentrating on the area around them.

"Now that you mention it, it feels as if the Darkness has become stronger." A Cleric remarked, soon confirmed by the others around them. Tahir stood once more, looking out in the forest; in the years that he had been a mercenary he came to know very well when someone or something was watching him. And right now, that feeling was almost physical in nature.

"Commander Tahir, is something the matter?" Another acolyte asked, stopping his return to Aurora when he saw him staring hard into the woods.

"It's nothing." He answered slowly, turning around and following after them as they returned to base. And still that soul boring feeling of eyes watching him lingered. Was there someone trying to use these creatures, the Omens, to his advantage? After they had gone, a pale man dressed in a black and gold cloak stepped from the woods. Whispers hung in the air around him as he walked to the area where Tahir had been a moment before. Reaching out a bony hand over the burst of soot, a glob no bigger than a fist pulled from the ground into his palm. With a sardonic smile, he turned his palm over watching the glob wriggle and dance within it.

"Progress is made. But it is still not enough." He hissed, the glob absorbing into his hand his veins swelled and wriggled. Clenching his hand to rid it of the stinging, he turned and walked back into the forest, the whispering thunder of his cloak following after him.

* * *

"That is impossible! The Omens require a body to maintain their form!" Mars exclaimed. Tahir watched from a distance as the Acolytes recounted everything they had seen from the previous outing. There was some genuine surprise on Mars's face. But the majority of it seemed practiced; like he was hiding something as well. When the troupe strongly suggested and even tried to go past Mars to tell The White Mage, he adamantly refused to let them enter. Tahir listened more closely, noting that Mars seems more worried now than just a few moments before.

What was he trying to hide? He was about to try and sneak in while he was busy with the troupe, but Dane came out of the lab. He held a hand to his head as though he had been sleeping but seemed more in pain. Tahir also noted there was a bandage on his left hand and arm.

"M-Master! Are you alright?" Mars asked, seeming to be even more surprised at his sudden appearance.

"I am Mars. I was careless and an Omen scratched me. Luckily I was uninfected." He smiled, the color in his face returning as he straightened his posture.

"Now, what's this I was hearing about an Omen no having a body?"

* * *

The temple was lonely to Rhinne, always quiet with only the sounds of the Sand Fountains breaking up the deafening silence. Perhaps she could go down to the Temple Guard's Barracks and see she could find someone to talk to there. But which division? All three of them were interesting, but the Qualm Knights and their ocean blue plumes were her favorite. She trotted through the corridors until she came to the Barracks. It was a long hallway where hundreds of the Knights rested within form fitting marble cavities on either side of the hall, reaching up ten rows.

As she entered, one of the knights made of dark gray armor came to life. A burst of blue fire came to life with a dull roar atop its helmet and torso hole. It hovered out of its cove as gauntlets slid out from its shoulder holes and its eyes came to life within the dark helm, instantly looking to Rhinne.

"Lady Rhinne, what are you doing in the Barracks?" it asked, its voice deep and hollow as it resonated within its metal body.

"I came to talk to Clank. Mother always seemed to be busy as of late and I won't be able to see Father for a while. I'm feeling a bit lonely and was hoping to find him." Pointing his vision forward the Knight's eyes appeared and disappeared as though he were blinking.

"I'm sorry to say that we Knights don't have names. Our purpose is to guard the temple, the Corridor of Regrets, your mother and you. We have no other purpose beyond such."

"Many apologies Chief. She has dubbed me Clank and given me a ribbon as of yesterday." Another Knight called, hovering over to them from further down the hall. As he neared, he pointed to a small red and white ribbon hanging from his right pauldron.

"My mana was quite low and I needed to replenish it badly. I didn't have a chance to report this to you." The Chief Knight looked over the ribbon, turning back to Rhinne with a breathy grunt.

"I will allow this. But please be sure to inform me of such changes in the future Rhinne. I do not want…"

"Yes yes…" Rhinne answered as she rolled her eyes and cut off the chief, continuing her disdain of the Chief's words with a forced deep voice.

"'You do not want to impede the duty you knights have to the temple'. Come Clank, walk with me for a while, if you have restored your mana." Rhinne called, grabbing Clank's gauntlet and dragging him out of the barracks to her favorite spot in the whole temple. It gave a magnificent view of three giant nebulas and an explosion of stars in the inky blackness of space beyond the temple.

"Clank, why am I here?" Rhinne asked with a hard sigh, slumping onto the railing with her elbows hard enough that it made an audible sound.

"I beg pardon Lady Rhinne?" Clank asked, having tucked away his hands into his body.

"Why am I here? Mother is always too busy to do anything, and Father is always busy with his work in Usoria. I end up seeing more of the Knights and monks here and the Clerics of the Order down there than I do of either one of my parents. Do they even love me?" she asked wistfully. Clank remained silent for a while, his eyes fluttering as he thought.

"I do not think it a matter of loving you or not. Your mother has made it very clear that you are both loved and very important to the world of Usoria."

"But that's just the thing. If I was loved, wouldn't they be spending at least a _little_ time with me?" Clank floated over to Rhinne, sliding out a hand and putting it on her shoulder. He could say nothing. He was but a Knight of the temple, made and trained especially for protecting the temple, the goddess and now her daughter. He had no wisdom or comfort to offer her.

"Have you made any friends in Usoria? Perhaps they are eager to see you again." Clank offered, unsure if it would help at all.

"There are a few, though mother often tells me not to get too attached to any of them while I am staying here in the temple. 'Time flows much differently here'." Rhinne mocked, trying to sound like her mother.

"Time may flow differently, but since your birth, the time difference seems to have stabilized into a less drastic distortion. Now only a few months go by in a day here as opposed to a random unknown amount of time." Clank explained. Rhinne sighed and let her head drop to her hands.

" _It's still different. I'm partially human, which is why I age so quickly. Mother says within a month I will be an adult. But I could still be a young woman for thousands of years and by that time all the friends I made in Usoria will be long dead and forgotten._ " Deep in her heart, she didn't want to live out her days here in the temple of time. She wanted to live among the humans where time had meaning, urgency. Every moment was as precious as gold. And yet here, she treated it as a commodity.

"I'm going to ask Mother if I can live in Usoria for a while. No, more than a while." Rhinne suddenly announced, picking her head up and setting her arms wide on the railing.

"And she might say that could a bad idea." Ariel said behind her as she walked to the railing. Rhinne jumped when she heard her, spinning around with almost fearful surprise in her eyes.

"M-mother I…"

"It's alright Rhinne. I can understand your feelings. I feel the same about your Father, Dane. Perhaps it is stronger in you as you are half human yourself. But as a deity, even a demi-deity such as yourself, living among humans can cause problems if they found out who you really are." Rhinne huffed and looked away from her, staring off into the blackness of space.

" _What does she know. She's always here in the temple._ " Rhinne thought, uninterested in her mother's words of logic that, while right, didn't sway her lonely spirit.

"But I suppose since you are partially human, your father will be there to help protect you, and if you were to make some human companions they too could also help keep your secret." Ariel smile. Rhinne turned back to her with a stare of surprise.

"You mean, I could _live_ in Usoria?"

"I am uncertain as to _living_ in Usoria, but I see no harm in staying among its people for a while. The Mirror of Time has nothing to show if you were to stay there." Ariel answered. Rhinne ran to her mother and hugged her tightly. The prospect of making friends, _real_ friends took her heart to new heights.

"I assume that I will no longer be needed then?" Clank asked, pointing to the ribbon on his lapel.

"Clank, you are someone special to me. Keep that ribbon on you always so that when I come back, no matter how long it will be, I can always count on you to be here." Clank stiffened and saluted, sucking in his arms to his body.

"Will you be leaving immediately?" Clank asked.

"If mother approves." Rhinne replied, looking to Ariel for her answer, to which she smiled and nodded.

"Then allow me to escort you to the Temple's exit." Rhinne bowed her approval as the two of them walked towards the front of the temple as Ariel watched them leave. Behind her, Minerna and a Monk of the Red stood, watching from far off.

"This could have a very dire turn out my goddess. One that I think should not be ignored." The Monk said, taking his frowning mask from his face, tucking it into his large loose sleeve.

"It is a regret, that much is certain, but it is something that must be left to Oblivion." Minerna answered, turning away and walking further into the temple with the Monk close behind.

"But will it not exponentially increase the Darkness within the world? You yourself said that…"

"I know what I said regarding him. But the Mirror has shown that all of the world's current Darkness will be gone because of Rhinne. She is the world's only hope, will be Ariel's largest regret, and will be remembered for all time as the Ultimate Light of Usoria. We have seen countless times, good monk, if we reveal Oblivion to those it would affect, worse things can and _will_ come."

"I understand my goddess. I will light another lamp in the Chamber of Oblivion." The monk said, putting on his mask and turning to leave.

"No, good monk. I will do it. At least let me be the one to bear the brunt of her agony when it comes." The monk bowed, turning away to tend to some other duty as Minerna made her way to the Chamber.

* * *

Rhinne was greeted warmly by the Clerics and Acolytes of the Order. When she told them the she would be staying with them longer than just a few months, her closest of friends Will and Eleanor were the most excited. Immediately the three of them rushed into the main building to find something more permanent for Rhinne to sleep on as she would be staying with Eleanor within the Women's wing.

Tahir watched the three of them with a smile, remembering his days with his friends when they were children and how they would become excited over something one of them had found. Turning his attention back to the main building he shook his head and sighed. With the help of Dane and some of the specialized Clerics of the Order, they expanded the once grand chapel into a majestic temple.

Despite its white and gold walls though, there was still a lingering cloud that hung over the Order. Tahir would feel chills running down his spin every time he was near The Mage's laboratory, a chill that reached to his very soul. He brought it up to some of his other Troupe Mates, and they too noted there was a chill near the lab. Despite this, Mars remained unwilling to admit or notice that _something_ was wrong.

And then there was the feeling Tahir would get after some of the Omens; someone was watching them. He couldn't explain it, but perhaps with the help of one of the other Clerics, he could at least remain behind long enough to see whom it was that haunted them with their presence.

* * *

"He's late." Magnus grunted, swishing his powerful tail through the air behind him, whipping air from side to side hard enough that it began to blow Hilda's skirts.

"Oh, come now, it's only a few minutes. I'm sure that I could take your mind off of it for a while." She replied, pushing into Magnus and pulling his hand to the skin of her lower back.

"You seem to forget that this magus is able to give us what we need in order to finish your potion, and there is a time sensitive component currently running out of said time." Magnus responded flatly, pulling his hand from her back and staring blankly forward.

"Just relax. The magus will come as he always does." Hilda chuckled, pulling away from Magnus and summoning a seat made of skeletons.

"And I have." Said a smooth, dry voice.

"You're late." Magnus huffed, turning around and crossing his arms over his chest, readjusting his dragon-like wings. Whispers rose in the air around them as Magnus felt a chill gently wrap around his neck.

"I explained that I would come near this time." The man said, pulling the black and gold cloak tighter around his shoulders and revealing from under it a bottle with thick black material quivering inside.

"Is this all? You promised us a massive amount. This only enough for one, possibly two potions."

"This Darkness is concentrated. Within are the contents of a thousand bottles, refined and purified into this." The man answered, his voice singeing with agitation. Setting the bottle in Hilda's hand he moved past them to a mountain of corpses. There he held his palm to it as misty shadows pulled from the ground and bodies alike, absorbing into his skin.

"When can we expect to receive the purest form of this you keep promising?" Magnus asked. The man threw his hand out, slamming him into a nearby wall and holding him off the ground, turning and beginning to walk away.

"As I have said many times before and will only say once more, it is coming. You will have your share when the time comes. Keep pressing your luck, Dracova, and it _will_ be you last." Magnus began clawing at his throat as the feeling around his neck began to tighten. Stars popped in his vision and his hands became numb. Just as all light were fading from his vision, the feeling left dropping him. Hilda rose from her chair, facing the man fully so that Magnus would be standing beside her once he fully stood.

"Still, our patience is running thin. Arkarium may be able to produce results with what you have given us but we would still like to see _better_ results." The man turned back to her, his smile the only thing she could see from under the hood of his cloak. An almost wintery breeze blew past them all, pulling a few strands of white hair from under the hood.

"Trust me Hilda. Even Arkarium will be unable to match the power I am about to find."


	20. ST - Chapter 19: Curtailed

Chapter 19: Curtailed

 _Light burst in the air as Ariel and Rhinne appeared in a room deep within the temple. Rhinne fell to the ground as the teleportation spell's distance was greater than she was used to making her dizzy. Grabbing Rhinne's hand, Ariel picked her back up and lead her to the center of the room._

 _"Wh-what are you doing?! You said that I was going to be safe with him." she asked and Ariel worked quickly, casting a strong spell over the sand glass she had grabbed a moment before._

 _"I'm sorry Rhinne, but I had to make him think that he was going to take you." Ariel answered, finalizing the spell and turning to Rhinne with tears staining your eyes._

 _"I'm going to make sure that you stay safe, as will everyone in Usoria. Please, forgive me Rhinne." Ariel cried, shoving the Sand Glass onto Rhinne's chest instantly making her feel sleepy, lifting into the air clutching the sand glass as though it were an infant. When Ariel was sure that the spell had taken effect, she knelt to the ground and used every last ounce of mana she had erecting a nigh impenetrable barrier around her. Lights shot through it into Rhinne from the ground far below. With one final chant, Ariel finalized the barrier and was tossed aside with a sweep of as Magus Sloe's hand as appeared behind her._

 _"What have you done to her?" Sloe asked with a torrid tone, walking up to the barrier to bring it down only to be dismayed when the barrier scorched the flesh on his hand instead._

 _"I've placed her in a state of eternal slumber." Ariel grunted, reaching back for her leg which lay at an unnatural angle._

 _"I suppose then I will simply take her power." Sloe answered, holding up his hand as Black Magic swirled unto existence penetrating the barrier only to be thrown out._

 _"You've done your work well Ariel my love." Sloe smiled, clenching his burned hand and cracking his knuckles._

 _"So long as she remains asleep, the entirety of her power is being used. Everyone will remain safe." Ariel hissed through clenched teeth. Sloe only smiled, turning back to the sleeping Rhinne and chuckling to himself._

 _"You do realize that this is nothing more than a minor delay Ariel: your efforts will not save our daughter from what destiny has chosen her for. If I can't wake her from her slumber here, then perhaps all that needs be done is destroy the world created in her dream." Sloe smiled. Ariel tried to summon the strength to cast another spell, tapping into her infinite life force for power. Light hardened into spears around her, whining as they gathered power._

 _"Careful my love. If you hurl those at me, you just might hit Rhinne. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Sloe asked, holding up his hand to the barrier once more as swirls of black gently flared around him and up his arm. Ariel concentrated on a single one that howled towards him. Holding his other hand out, he caught the incoming spear and crushed it. Ariel swung her hand as another spear hurled towards him only to obliterated in a plume of black violet fire, engulfing Ariel and tossing her back against a column._

 _Once he was sure that Ariel would be tamed at least for the moment, he turned his attention back to Rhinne, pushing power slowly through the barrier surrounding her as she slept. Just as the cloud touched her, Sloe felt his mind leave his body, delving through what felt as if it were time itself._

"That's it then? There is nothing that you can do?" the monk of the Green asked as he sat next to Minerna who stared into the mirror of time.

"I wish there were, good monk. But as I told the Monks of the Red, if we were to make an Oblivion known to someone, worse can and will come." A monk of the blue came to them, taking his mask from his face before beginning his own argument.

"If this is allowed to continue, then the new goddess of time will be lost to us. Ariel herself may become what she once was and Usoria will once again lose her to depression." The monk of the Green stepped forward, holding out his hand as a small globe of light appeared in it and revealed Ariel as she was before meeting Dane.

"This cannot be allowed to happen my goddess Minerna. Usoria will not be able to withstand it; the Darkness would come back, perhaps even stronger than it is now."

"I am well aware of that, good monks. That is something however the Mirror will not show me. Time is a blank canvas from the point we have just seen. The only thing it will show me is the image of a young woman, with hair of silver and eyes of blue. She escorts a large metal crest behind her dressed in Purple. There is one thing that is peculiar about the image though." Minerna said, waving her hand over the mirror as the image appeared. The monks stepped closer to look at it, squinting their eyes and tilting their heads.

"A duality of spirit?" the Monk of the Blue asked.

"A split Life Force? Twins perhaps?" The Monk of the Green asked. But to their questions she had no answer. The three fixated their attention to the mirror once again, pondering the image. There appeared to be a second woman, this one identical in appearance but was dressed in white and blue with hair of gold. What lay ahead or them? And who were these women they saw?

"You are to speak to no one of this." Minerna commanded, waving her hand as the image disappeared. The monks bowed in understanding, putting on their masks once again and leaving to their assigned tasks. Minerna looked back to the blank mirror and sighed a long breath.

"It will only come if you don't open your eyes before it happens, Ariel."

* * *

"To your left!" Will shouted to Tahir, both of them flattening to the ground as the Omen swung its large knife-like hand. Putting up her shield, Eleanor stopped it in a shower of sparks, her feet digging into the ground as she held off the brute strength.

"Rhinne! If you're going to do it, now's the time!" She grunted. Rhinne spun her hands around one another, pulling in bright blue energy from her hands into a giant ball of white flames. Her hands shot forward with a quick flip of her wrists, a wall of pure white flames erupting, charring everything in its path and turning the ground to glass. With only time to look up the Omen disappeared before it could even scream.

Just as the last of the Omen was disappearing, a bright ring of white light burst from where it had stood a moment before. As the blaze of white expanded, the air felt light and calming. Breathing a sigh of relief, the four of them enjoyed the short respite before the Darkness swept back in weighing them all down.

"There, that's the last of them." Eleanor huffed, sheathing her sword and putting her shield over her back. She, Will, Rhinne and Tahir had all been put together as an elite Omen Hunting party with Tahir as their commander.

"Now, tell me again how you became whatever this is?" Will asked, motioning to Eleanor and her heavily armored figure.

"It's something that I'm experimenting with. The Clerics and Acolytes are powerful, don't get me wrong. But with as dangerous as the Omens have become these last few months, The Order needs something more substantial than mages wielding a staff in robes."

"She has a point William." Tahir called, cleaning his dagger before shoving it into his belt.

"I told you Commander, its WILL, not William. But yes, I do see her point, I just don't know what it is she is trying to be. The closest I can guess would be similar to the Paladins of Orion." Will observed as Rhinne walked over to him and put her chin on his shoulder.

"Those soldiers are nothing more than overly fancy Knights. Eleanor here is a true Paladin." Rhinne chimed when Tahir grunted.

"We should get going. We don't want to be here when night falls." He barked, picking up his things and beginning to head back to the temple.

"WHEN night falls? How can you tell? It's _constantly_ night here." Will answered, gathering his knapsack and taking Rhinne's hand as they trotted after Tahir and Eleanor. Behind them in the shadows, the man in the black and gold cloak stepped out, black vapors and whispers cloaking him. As he reached his hand for where the Omen had been standing, he recoiled staring at his palm as though he had been burnt.

"That girl is hindering progress. Perhaps it is time we talked." He hissed, whispers danced on the wind around him. He turned his palm up and swirls of Darkness sprung up within it. The other Clerics and Acolytes had destroyed the Omens, leaving behind the most important parts of them: The Core. This girl however was capable of obliterating that core and even the surrounding Darkness. If these cores were destroyed, it would set him back years.

* * *

Upon returning to the temple, Tahir reported to Mars in the knowledge depository what they had found and defeated during their patrol. Once acknowledged, the four of them were then given time to themselves. Eleanor decided to head for her own special training grounds as Tahir went to his room for some much-needed rest.

"I suppose that leaves us to ourselves." Will smirked, gripping Rhinne's hand.

"What should we do then?" She replied, pulling his hand around her shoulders and beginning to walk to the front of the Temple

"There are some creatures within the Forest that I would like to study. They don't seem to be effected by Darkness as much as the Omens we've been fighting. Would you care to come along?" Rhinne sighed heavily; she was hoping that Will would put aside his studies just for a bit so they might do something else other than study creatures or fighting Omens. She had been drawn to Will from the first time she had stayed tithe Aurora for a short while. Now that she was staying at the temple on a more permanent basis, she perused his companionship more seriously though still felt that he wasn't as involved.

"I would, but there is something that I have wanted to do for a long while with you." Rhinne answered, pulling an interested hum from Will as he raised his eyebrows and looked to her.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"I've been studying the maps in the cartography room. Not far from here to the south east, there is a beach said to have trees baring a fruit called Goldychee. I've seen this beach from the temple, but I would love to see it in person with you." Nodding to her proposal, Will reached into his coat and pulled a leather bound book from it, flipping pages until her found what he was looking for.

"I know what beach you are talking about and I have a transport spell with enough range to get us there. However, I don't think your father or Mars would allow something like that." With a growl and a huff Rhinne pulled away, walking to a window.

"I've been here for nearly a year and the most I've seen are these walls and the majority of the Forest of Peace. I know how being a Demi-Deity can lead to issues here in Usoria, but I want to see this world even if it's only a small part."

"Weren't you able to see if from the Temple of Time while you stayed with your mother?" Will asked, putting his book away before walking to the same window and leaning against it.

"Able to see it, yes. I could see the entire planet from the temple, but I still couldn't _see_ it." Nodding his understanding, Will turned to lean his back against the wall and think. He knew what Master Dane would say if he were to ask him for this outing. At the same time he wanted to be able to go other places with Rhinne.

"Please Will, just a for a couple hours and then we'll be back before the evening meal." begged Rhinne quietly.

"My father won't even know we were gone. He hardly knows what goes on in this Temple anyway being locked in his lab all the time." Will tilted his head side to side, cracking his neck as he thought.

"Wait here." He muttered, walking further into the temple's living quarters. Turning back to the window, Rhinne sighed and watched her reflection in the darkened glass. Minutes passed in a slog of cold molasses as she waited for Will to return. Boredom soon overcame her as she tried to watch the small squiggles in her vision. A touch on her shoulder woke her from the trance she had fallen into to see Will having returned with two other people.

"Rhinne, this is Baroq and Terri. Baroq has been studying the use of light to change one's appearance. With this, he will take our place here at the Temple for a short while." With wide and eager eyes Rhinne agreed, Baroq weaving the intricate spell over both Terri and Rhinne. Once it was done, Rhinne had to shake her head so as not to confuse herself: the disguise was perfect. Baroq then did the same for he and Will, having both disguises created within a few minutes.

"Please return before three hours have passed; I cannot make the spell last any longer than that." Baroq asked. Will chuckled as he agreed, amused that such a deep voice was coming from what appeared to be his mouth. Taking Rhinne's hand, he opened his book and recited the transportation spell, disappearing in a burst of white light.

* * *

Tossing his cloak to the side, Dane quickly reached for a potion on one of the shelves of his Lab, drinking it down in one swallow. Exhaustion over took him, holding himself upright against his desk while the potion took effect and strength once again returned to his limbs.

"Master, there you are. I was beginning to wonder when you would return." Mars said, slipping into the door from the Knowledge Depository.

"I told you Mars that I would return in a while." Dane growled, pulling back his shoulders cracking his back one vertebra at a time.

"Yes, but three days is not simply a little while. And what of the Omens? Have you heard what the Clerics and Acolytes have found?" Panic ran thick in Mars's voice, becoming thicker with each word he spoke.

"I have heard." Dane replied dryly, standing to his full height and walking to a nearby shelf containing dozens of vials of Darkness and one large bottle which he reached for.

"How long are you going to let this go on? These Omens are becoming worse than before. Who's to say that eventually the entirety of the Darkness itself will rise?" demanded Mars. Pulling the stopper from the bottle, Dane held his hand over it. From his palm a small sphere seeped out, dropping into the bottle followed by almost a dozen more. Once the last sphere had dropped into the bottle, he quickly jammed the stopper back in.

"You want the Darkness to continue this way, don't you?"

"NO!" snapped Dane, turning back to Mars with wide eyes.

"No, I would never want the Darkness to build to that point. It is becoming worse, I can feel it. But I am so close to the final goal." Turning the bottle end over end and shaking it for a few moments, Dane then unstopped it and poured a vile lump of darkness from it into his palm. Thick sludge dripped from around it, through his fingers but disappearing into ash before it hit the ground. With his other hand, he set up a few rows of smaller vials, pinching off bits from the larger mass and putting them in the vials.

"But my Daughter is beginning to hinder Progress as she is taught more about the power of Light." Sneered Dane, pouring the lump back into the bottle, capping it and the vials.

"Master, isn't that what you wanted?" asked Mars. Dane grabbed up the vials, twenty in all and shook them violently, turning the once small lump into dark vapors.

"Her power is key to destroying the Darkness and making the world into a better place. But if that power is hindering me, that day may never come. Until then, the Aurora must continue to peel away the outer layers of the Omens and leave the enriched cores." With vials in hand, he walked to the back door, hurling each vial in a different direction hearing them break against the stones within the forest. Whispers howled in the air after the sound of breaking glass, followed by a shape growing in the dark sprouting glowing eyes near the tops.

"I am so close, I don't want to be held back now."

"But if you continue to enrich Omen cores, Rhinne will only further her study of Light and grow in power to match them. In time, she would be the only capable of facing them. It could lead to her death! You are creating the very thing you are trying to eliminate!" Exclaimed Mars, cursing himself for becoming so loud since anyone outside with mind enough to listen would have been able to hear him.

"I know, but I must have the Ultimate Darkness. It is a necessary hazard Mars. Without it, we are all doomed." Tossing the last vial out of the door, a haunting whisper echoed through the air around him.

" _Don't let the light we created… die… with me. Promise me…_ "

" _I'm almost there Menodora. I nearly have the Ultimate Light._ "

* * *

Within seconds, the two of them were standing on soft sands met by the darkened waters of the ocean as the sun set in the far west.

"Oh, I was hoping to catch the sunset." Rhinne complained. Will chuckled, reaching into his sleeve and pulling a glowing lamp from it, igniting the sands around the with a golden light rivaling the sunset in color.

"I brought a Twilight Lamp just in case." Rhinne grinned, sitting down in the sand next to Will as he set the lamp down before them.

"We should try to come back here when the sun is still up so we can actually see the sunset." Will suggested, putting his arm and a blanket around Rhinne, pulling her close to him.

"I'll have to have my mother teach me some Time Manipulation so that I can extend out moments like this." Rhinne said, scooting closer to Will and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Wouldn't that warp the flow of time?" Will asked.

"No. At least, I don't think it would. My mother told me of how she had used that very power to extend out a moment in time for my father before he met my mother. And it doesn't seem to have effected time in any way." Will nodded, pulling out his small note book and writing a small note in it, setting it beside them in the sand. For a while the two of them sat in silence, enjoying the salty breeze coming from over the water of the ocean. After an hour, Rhinne's eyes became heavier and heavier as the cooling breeze kept her close to Will.

A chill began to permeate the air around them. This was no ordinary chill like the ones felt in winter. This was a chill that speared through your soul and dampened your spirit. This was the chill of Darkness. Rhinne held her fist tightly between them as a spell hummed to life in her hand. Will picked up his spell book, turning the pages until he came to a rather powerful sealing spell. Throwing off the blanket the two of them began casting, throwing their spells out. No sooner had they begun reciting than the presence reached out boney hands and gripped their wrists hard. They collapsed to the ground in agony as their wrists popped under his grip, whispers hissing around them.

"Ah, there you are. I wish to have a word with you, young lady." said the man smoothly. With little effort he tossed Will aside, bouncing across the sand until he collided with a large tree half buried in the sand.

"WILL!"

"Don't worry young lady, he will be fine. For now, I wish your attention drawn on…" Light buzzed to life in her gripped hand, slamming into the cloaked man hurling him into the sand. Feet burrowing into the sand drifts, Rhinne sprinted to Will when spear tipped chains shot out around her, constricting around her arms, legs and neck. Searing pain erupted wherever the chains touched her skin, ash rising from each of the wounds.

"Now, as I said before, I would like a word with you." Said the man, this time speaking as though he were clenching his teeth. The chains pulled Rhinne back to a kneeling position, holding her down hard within the sands.

"Let me go!" Struggling against the grip of the chains only made them coil tighter digging further into her skin. The man crouched before her, grabbing her chin to pull her attention to him.

"You've been destroying work that is valuable to me. You are to stop and let those you call comrades deal with them. Your power keeps destroying that which I need from the Omens for my work." He sneered, the shadow of his cloak covering most of his face.

"The Aurora was created for battling back the Omens. I was born to rid the world of its Darkness! Your work is not important!" shouted Rhinne, finding a momentary swell in power allowing her to break free of the chains that bound her in a burst of light. The man reeled, falling to the ground as she darted for Will's still body next to the tree. Molten pain shot through her leg as a chain spear burrowed through her lower leg, ripping it from under her and pulling her to the ground hard.

"This is not a request. This is my law. Cease your destruction of the Omens."

"This is what my Father and Mother want me to do! I will carry out his desires and there is nothing you can do to sway me otherwise." She bellowed in return, tending to her ash spilling leg when the chain through it dissipated.

"That is what they all say." The man sneered, chains sprouting around Will. Clinking slowly, they wrapped around his body, pulling him into the air above them. Another chain slithered from the sand, coiling links behind the spear head aimed for his chest.

"Cease your destruction of Omens. I need their essence to complete my work." The man demanded, raising his hand to face Will as he hung in the grip of the chains.

"Put him down. If you so much as scratch him, not even Minerna herself will be able to undo what I do to you." The malice in Rhinne's voice drew his attention back to her, lowering himself to her position as she healed the last of her ashen wounds.

"Cease your destruction." Throwing her hand forward, an orb of light shot at the man, only to be deflected into the ocean. Rhinne tried several more times only to have her light deflected into the ocean. A burst of sand hung in the air as she teleported to the side, slamming her palms together and concentrating light where they met. As she gathered energy, the man shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"If you won't do it on your own, then a broken spirit will do it for you." The man threw his hand towards Will, launching the chain spear into motion. Rhinne turned the attention of her light to the chain but missed. The spear hit something metal, bouncing off course and slicing the side of Will's chest instantly waking him. Rhinne didn't wait to find out what had happened, swinging her hand through the chains holding him and disappearing in a cloud of sand. The man turned his head up to see Ariel standing before him, sword in hand pointing to the spear chain driven into the ground.

"Why is it so important that to follow your demands that you would resort to murder, sir." Ariel asked with heat in her words.

"You would know best of all, Ariel, my love." His voice smiled. Ariel lowered her brow.

"Who are you to call me 'my love'. There is only one who can call me by such a title." With purposeful leisure, the man reached to the hood of his cloak, pulling it back and revealing his white hair and gaunt features. Ariel's eye became wide as recognition came fast, gasping for breath as her chest became tight.

"And I am that one, my love."

* * *

Bursting into existence, Rhinne and Will appeared back at the Temple. The minute they did, Will collapsed to the ground beside her. The Acolytes practicing in the yard quickly helped them into the infirmary where Rhinne began assessing his wound. With his robe removed, the full seriousness of it was revealed; a long gash spanning the length of his side oozed blackened blood. The skin around the wound had begun to turn black spreading as far as Rhinne's hand, and the flesh within the wound puffed ash from it.

"Damn this Darkness magic and all its forms." Rhinne hissed, placing her fingers tenderly on either side of the wound.

"Rhinne? Is that you?" Will asked, groaning a bit when Rhinne enacted a healing spell.

"Yes, I'm here. Just lie still, I'll get this wound all healed." She whispered, carefully dragging her fingers the length of the wound, burning away the ashen flesh and closing the skin. As she finished, Tahir came in to see how Will was.

"I'm fine. Whoever that other person was though saved me from what could have been much worse." Tahir furrowed his brow, crossing his arms over his chest and taking on a much more grounded stance.

"Tell me everything, both of you." Tahir commanded. With as much clarity as they could, Will and Rhinne recounted the events of the evening. Mention of the man in black robes kept his attention fixed. There was the feeling he had always felt while near Dane and his lab that something wasn't right. He almost made himself believe that it was due to Dane's work with Omens and Darkness that gave him the feeling. But with his obsessive behavior, locking himself within his lab for weeks at a time, the increasing frequency in appearance of stronger Omens and now the appearance, the identity of that man was becoming easier to believe.

"Tell me something Rhinne, did you get a good look at this cloaked man's face?" Asked Tahir. Rhinne shook her head after giving the question a great amount of thought.

"What are you thinking commander?" Will asked, sitting up in his bed, but clutching his side where the wound had been healed.

"The Omens haven't been increasing in number because the Darkenss is getting worse. Someone is _creating_ Omens." Tahir's eyes became wide and his face became pale.

"No… it couldn't be…"

"What?! What are you thinking?!" shouted Rhinne.

"'The ultimate light can only be found in ultimate darkness'. That's what he meant! Your father is the one making the Omens and Making them stronger! I don't know how he's doing it, but he is." Exclaimed will.

"Are you sure? That sounds a little farfetched." Rhinne asked. Will adjusted his hexagonal rimmed glasses readying to reply when a hot stab of pain stopped him. Something wasn't right. His freshly healed wound was beginning to hurt again. Tahir took of the answer.

"Think about it. Before you started going out on hunting missions with us, the only way we had to defeat them was to just blow them away using the light of the clerics. Rhinne has been here only a few months and has been able to blow away the Omens entirely, even making the Darkness retreat for a short time. And now this cloaked man who nearly killed Will was demanding that Rhinne stop what she was doing. How can you not see it?" Rhinne was about to speak when a blinding light filled the room as the doorway to the infirmary revealed a woman with great white wings stepping from it.

"Mother! What are you doing here?" squeaked Rhinne in surprise. Ariel held up her hand, her eyes wide and some of her hair tangled as if she had been in a battle.

"There is no time to explain, you must come back to the Temple at once. Once you are safe there I will tell you everything, but for now we need to leave." Turning back to Will, she noted that he was doubled over, holding up one hand to shield his eyes and the other clutching at his chest.

"What is the matter Rhinne, we need to leave now!" Ariel exclaimed. Absently Rhinne walked to Will, standing between him and her mother as she took his hand away from his eyes.

"Will what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, my chest still hurts and it's getting worse." Pulling his hand away, it revealed a large bruise on the side of his chest, some of the skin swelling in black pustules.

"What is…"

"Rhinne we have no more time. We must leave now!"

"Not before I find out what's wrong with Will. He may mean nothing to you but he means quite a lot to me." Ariel huffed, striding over to Will in what seemed like a single step and looked over the wound. Her eyes widened slightly as she sighed.

"I know this magic, but I haven't seen it in some time. It's called Anti Magic and is hard to remove, even for a goddess as I."

"But you _can_ remove it right?" lowering her power as much as she could to dim the light surrounding them, Ariel turned Will to face her.

"Will, I can remove this. It is called Anti Magic and combined with the Darkness you have been infected with makes it extremely difficult to remove. I can remove it, but you must endure a dangerous level of my power that could kill you to do so." Will looked to Rhinne and her lonely eyes.

"It's for Rhinne. I will withstand it." Will stated. Sighing, Ariel laid him down on the medical cot, turning her palm to the wound as power gently flared.

"That's another good thing my daughter has inherited from you humans; your tenacious refusal of accepting dire circumstances." She smiled, beginning to apply her power. Minutes passed as hours, each second more and more power flowing from Ariel's hand as the wound began to heal. Will started to grunt in pain, clenching his jaw hard enough that his teeth began to creak. Grabbing a leather belt, Rhinne folded it and put it in his mouth. Still the power increased; the world around them began to shift and warp and still the power and pain rose. Will's screams could be heard over the roar of power as his whole body writhed and twisted, trying to ease the pain to no avail.

Just when Rhinne was about to forcibly stop her mother, Ariel ceased and Will fell to the bed as still as stone. Tahir uncovered his face, walking over to Will and placing a hand on his neck. Rhinne looked from Will to Tahir and back to Will, waiting for him to say something.

"Is he…"

"He's still here. He's just asleep. If you need to go, go. I will watch over him until he wakes. In the meantime, I will try to see if Dane is the one…"

"He is, Mercinary." Interrupted Ariel. Tahir breathed long and hard, nodding his understanding.

"Then I will do what I can to try and stop him." He promised as the door once again became sunrise bright.

"Be careful Mercenary. Darkness is an ugly thing, and it has begun to twist him beyond saving." Warned Ariel, escorting Rhinne through the door before closing it off, leaving them in silence.


	21. ST - Chapter 20: Prelude

Chapter 20: Prelude

"I thought you wanted to cure the world of its Darkness, not become it." Grunted Tahir, barely standing after the chain spears hand punched through his body, pinning him to the ground. A dark chuckle could be heard as Dane spoke.

"I _have_ erased it. And from it, I have created a power that even the gods can defeat. I just need one more thing and then it will all be over." Willing every last bit of strength left to him, Tahir walked to Dane, latching on to his cloak so as not to fall.

"You were the White Mage, the one who was going to save us. You can't do that as a black mage." Dane looked down to him, grabbing his shirt and hauling him into the air.

"I am saving you; by getting rid of it all. And please, call me Magus Sloe."

* * *

12 hours earlier

"What do we do now?" asked Will once Ariel and Rhinne were gone. Tahir sat down on the medical cot, leaning on his knees as he rested his nose on his laced fingers.

"We have to get Mars or Vieren on our side. I'll take care of them. You need to gather as many of the Acolytes and Clerics as you can. I have a feeling this will result in a war that will tear Aurora apart."

"You want to start a mutiny? The world is in grave danger, how can you think of something like mutiny?" Will asked, throwing on a new shirt and grabbing up his staff.

"The world has been inching closer to disaster every day. Its only now that we've actually seen the path we were taking and how close we are to it. You heard Ariel yourself answer my theory; Master Dane is the one creating these more powerful Omens. He nearly killed you for Minerna's sake!" Will's head dropped and his shoulders slumped.

"All this time I've been training to rid the world if the Omens, to one day help the world heal. I still want to believe in that mission." A heavy hand lay on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly.

"You still can Will. But if we don't so something that mission will be lost to us. Gather Eleanor and have her help you as well. If she has any misgivings, tell her to come to me." Will picked his eyes up, steeling his expression and pulling his body to ridged attention when he realized that Tahir called him by 'Will' for the first time.

"Aye Commander. You can count on me." Tahir nodded, jerking his head to the side telling Will to get going. Once alone, Tahir let himself think: if Dane were the one behind it the Omens becoming stronger then he would have told the rest of the Aurora, right? Why keep it a secret? The only reason there would be to keep it secret was so that no one else would have to be so close to Darkness all the time. Unless…

" _Unless the Darkness has infected him and has been controlling him all this time!_ " Tahir thought. That thought alone drove him to direct his convincing to Vieren first. Vieren seemed like he would be at least open to the possibility. As Tahir expected, he found Vieren within the Knowledge Depository.

"Master Vieren." He called, trotting up to him making the other Clerics and a few of the acolytes snap their attention to him.

"Commander Tahir. What's the matter, you look pale." Asked Vieren Speaking low, Tahir leaned in so that Vieren was the only one to hear.

"I need to speak with you in Private. There is an imminent threat to the Aurora." He muttered. Vieren smiled and spoke normally.

"There is no need to be so secretive Commander. I'm sure that…"

"No." retorted Tahir in a dull hiss. Vieren lost is friendly expression, his brow lowering and his shoulders stiffening. Holding out a hand he escorted him to his office, shutting the door and cast a spell to block any noise from leaking out.

"What is so urgent that you would need to speak only to me commander?"

"I have reason to believe that Master Dane is the one creating the stronger Omens. As a result, he is adding to the Darkness that is currently in the world by a major amount. I believe that Dane is also being controlled by the Darkness itself to push the world closer to a state of disaster." Vieren lowered his brow further, squinting his eyes and tilting his head while stepping closer to him.

"Are you certain Commander? If this is some kind of joke…"

"I assure you Master Vieren, this is no joke. I would go to Mars, but I don't think that he would believe me. He seems willfully blind to what is going on here." Vieren sat down, setting his staff on the table then gripping his chin.

"What evidence do you have to prove this?"

"Very little. In fact most of what I have to offer is only speculation. The only solid thing I have to offer is that the goddess Ariel herself came to take Rhinne back to her temple. She also warned me that Darkness had begun twisting Dane beyond saving. The only way I can either confirm or deny my suspicions is to talk to Master Dane himself."

"Then why are you coming to me? It sounds as if you have a course of action already planned out."

"Because I need to convince Master Mars to let me past to see Master Dane. As I said, he either knows what is happening and has been keeping it hidden, or his is willfully blind to what is happening." Vieren pushed his tongue into his cheek, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Have you told anyone about this?"

"The only other one that knows is Will. I have sent him to try and gather Clerics and Acolytes that would be willing to stand if this is indeed true. I am hoping that Eleanor will be able to join us as well." With a heavy sigh, Vieren dropped his forehead into his hand, staying that way for a long while in deafening silence.

"I would hate to think that this is all some elaborate ruse Commander." Vieren growled, snatching up his staff and standing to his full height, squaring his shoulders before motioning him to follow.

"If this is true you were right to come to me, but you were hasty in trying to recruit members of the Aurora before doing so. What's done is done though. If Cleric Will does gather any that would be loyal, gather them in the forest to the south. I will come for you once I have looked over a few things in the Depository." He commanded. Tahir nodded his understanding, leaving with hurried steps to complete what could either be a near miss, or a great tragedy.

* * *

9.5 hours earlier

"He should have come already." Will bellowed, looking north as he stood with his back to the small staging camp set up in the forest.

"Vieren said that he would come for us when he was ready. I just told him something that rocks everything he believes in and it seems he wanted to find a pattern of his own. Would you have believed it yourself had you not lived through it?" Tahir asked, looking over to Eleanor as she leaned against a tree on the fringes of the firelight.

"It still doesn't seem right. Why would he be the danger we are trying to prevent?" she asked.

"You weren't there Eleanor. You didn't feel the haunting, soul chilling Darkness that came with him. He's been using Darkness so long that it has begun to become a part of him." Will answered.

"I thought he knew the dangers of messing with it from the start?" Eleanor asked.

"That's the thing about Darkness, Paladin Eleanor." Another voice said, making her draw and hold her sword to the throat of Vieren, fire flaring around the cutting edges.

"Master Vieren, I…"

"It's alright. But to answer your question, Darkness is not something that takes you over all at once. It is a slow process. This is something that Master Dane wrote in the earliest days of his research: 'It has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it.' Later writings say that only if one is constantly aware, Darkness will touch you and if you let it, will begin to grow in power at a nearly undetectable rate. But by the time it is noticed, it will almost certainly be too late."

"But something has to let it in first doesn't it? I mean, as long as you're paying attention it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Will asked. Vieren shook his head.

"I think there has always been a spot of Darkness within him that was never fully dealt with. In his middle writings, Dane speaks of someone named Menodora. It sounds as if she meant a great deal to him, but there is no mention as to what happened to her. With that spot still within him, there are already a foothold for the Darkness to latch onto. Working to make Darkness stronger only made it worse." Silence hug thick between them, the only sound being the crackling of the fire. Vieren broke the silence, turning to Tahir with questioning eyes.

"How many of the Aurora were you able to gather?" The three of them hung their heads and their shoulders dropped.

"We are all that are here. Will's efforts were only laughed off by the Acolytes, and the other Cleric blatantly threatened to have disciplinary action brought against him for speaking such slander." Answered Tahir, reaching for his dagger and balancing it on the tip of his finger.

"I had a feeling this would be the case." Vieren quietly muttered, shaking his head.

"But still, there is a grave danger that we must stop. Will and Eleanor, I want you ready to rally and organize the Order should chaos ensue. I will take Tahir to see Master Mars, and ultimately Master Dane." Will and Eleanor nodded in understanding, gathering their belongings and putting out the fire.

"Good luck to you both." Will called.

"Good luck to us all." Tahir called back, waving as he turned. As he walked, a wave of calm came over him, much the same way he had felt before Dane had found him in the forest so long ago.

" _Talea, I'm sorry you had to wait. I think I'll be coming home this time._ "

* * *

8 hours earlier

Pacing back and forth near the door to Dane's Lab, Mars tried to appear calm. Something was going on in the ranks of the Aurora, and someone was spreading rumors about how Dane was actually causing more trouble than he was actually fixing. Yes, he knew about the Omens, but they were in direct line with researching the Darkness and finding the Ultimate Darkness, weren't they?

All the same, small doubts began to leak into his mind; had he been complicit in allowing the Master to continue on as he had? Had he been willfully ignorant to the worsening of the world's Darkness through the Master's research? Had the Master's recent enriching experiments been affecting him more than he had seen? But they were so close to creating that Ultimate Darkness, and with that they would be able to create the Ultimate Light!

Mars jumped when Vieren called to him, clearing his throat and straightening his shoulders. There was also that mercenary with him; he could be the one behind the starting of the rumors.

"Yes Vieren, what is it that I can do for you?"

"Commander Tahir needs to see the Master. There is something urgent that we must discuss with him." Mars raised his eyebrow, looking to Tahir while taking a breath with feigned calm.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow the master to be disturbed at this time. We are very close to finding what we have been after all this time." He replied, pulling his arms behind him as if to appear more authoritative.

"Have you not seen what has been happening all around us? Have you not heard what the Acolytes and the Clerics have reported their findings of the Omens?" Vieren bellowed, loud enough to disrupt the nearby acolytes in their studies.

"The strength of the omens is because of the strength of the Darkness. We knew this would happen when we left the world behind to complete our research here. Do not lose your faith now Vieren when we are so close to achieving our goal!"

"MARS! We need to speak to the Master to either refute or confirm a grave matter." Tahir thundered, beginning to draw more people around them.

"And what matter would that be?" Asked Mars, looking down at them from over his nose.

"That Master Dane has been the one creating and strengthening the Omens and as a result has been taken over by the Darkness itself." A hush descended over the entire crowd, Acolytes looking back and forth between Mars, Tahir and Vieren.

"Is this true Master Mars? Has the Mage been creating stronger Omens?" asked a young acolyte. More of them began to press in, asking the same question demanding some kind of answer.

"If you have known about this then you are no master of mine!" Vieren howled. Mars sighed, holding up his hands to quiet the crowd. Swallowing hard he hung his head, sucking on his upper lip hidden under his grand mustache.

"I've known. I've known since we first retreated to this forest. The Master has been creating stronger and stronger Omens, enriching them to create the Ultimate Darkness, from which we can use the Ultimate Light! The Master is so close, we cannot start letting doubts cloud our minds. I choose to believe in the master until the end." All the acolytes stood stunned, unable to speak when Tahir broke the silence pointing to him with a shaking finger.

"You _knew_ about the Omens? People were suffering in the world and you _knew_ who was creating these monsters?"

"Omens had been appearing long before The Master began his research in earnest. The Omens that have been appearing recently are the doing of the Master. Yes, it is a great evil, but a necessary one if it means that Darkness will be wiped from the face of Usoria."

"'…a necessary evil'? You would put your own Clerics, your own Acolyte's lives at risk?! What of the people that have died in the world to these Omens? What of the Clerics and Acolytes who were injured while fighting them? What would you say to those that lay their very life on the line while you sit back and watch?!"

"We all take risks Commander Tahir. That is what we of the Aurora are for."

" _CALCULATED_ risks! Not blind warfare with something far more dangerous than we imagined."

"It is still a needed evil Commander." Tahir's face began to shift through shades of red, reaching for his dagger in a blur.

"Open the door, move aside, or I will go through you and open it myself." Mars' brow became set, lowering over his eyes as he held his staff forward.

"You are not thinking of the grand picture Commander."

"Mars! The world is in a grave state. Who knows what will happen if Master Dane is completely corrupted by Darkness." Shouted Vieren. Mars clenched his jaw tighter, his knuckles whitening on his staff.

"Neither of you are seeing the larger picture!" Bellowed Mars. Tahir tried to duck around him, bolting for the Laboratory door when a wall of opaque white appeared before him. Metal slapping metal could be heard as a box made of white light surrounded him.

"Take him to the Brig, and confiscate Vieren's staff. Vieren, I am confining you to quarters. I will be by shortly to speak with you." Mars commanded. A Cleric came into the room, holding his staff towards Tahir's box and directing it out of the room. An Acolyte reluctantly took Vieren's staff away as two more burly Clerics came in and escorted him to his room.

"YOU ARE MAKING A GRAVE MISTAKE MARS! LISTEN TO ME! THE MASTER MUST BE STOPPED!" Tahir screamed, but Mars turned away, stowing Vieren's staff on the wall next to the Lab's door.

* * *

7.75 hours earlier

Gathering the latest cores, Dane dumped them into the large jar, shaking it around and pouring out the large lump within. For a long while his stared at it, watching as it swirled within its own skin.

" _Is it almost complete?_ " a voice within Dane's head asked.

"No, it _is_ complete. Now I must only direct this entire mass through a single emotion and I will have my Ultimate light." Dane muttered to himself, reaching for his staff when he felt something holding him back.

" _There will be no need for that staff from now on, White Mage._ " The voice in his head boomed, making the reach for his staff harder and harder. Inch by inch, Dane moved his arm, his legs, his body closer to the staff. When his finger was about to touch the steel of the shaft, Dane felt his body freeze, unable to move any closer to the staff.

" _You may have found your Ultimate Darkness, but what good will it do to turn it into your Ultimate Light? Once the Darkness has been used as such, there will be nothing left, much like paper to a fire._ "

"Paper is used to _start_ a fire, not sustain it."

" _Exactly. Ultimate Darkness can only be used to_ start _the Ultimate Light, it cannot sustain it._ "

"Then what s _hould_ I do? I have everything I need to finally rid the world of Darkness." Deep within him, an uncomfortable stirring writhed so greatly that his stomach churned. His head felt light and his vision blurred for a moment. It was almost as if the voice within his mind were growling in anger.

" _You have found a way to momentarily 'scare' it away. You should remember from your past, Darkness is not so easily vanquished._ "

"NO, you're wrong. The Ultimate Light that I have carried with me all this time, given to me by Menodora will be the light that cleanses the Darkness from…"

" _YOU WILL CLEANSE NOTHING!_ " the voice boomed, throwing him to the ground in a lifeless heap.

"But what of…"

" _Your precious light is nothing before Darkness. You have studied my properties, used me to create and refine a Darkness not even the gods can counter. You shall be my emissary of justice to deliver that which those who live rightly deserve._ "

"And what is that?" Dane asked.

"Destroy everything they hold dear. There is no Ultimate Light." He felt himself say with a malicious growl. His eyes became wide, wanting to reach for the lump of Darkness he had created to destroy it.

"You're wrong." He whispered, a spell of light flaring in his opposite hand ready to purge this Darkness he had created.

" _Am I? Tell me then, what has Light every brought you?_ "

"It brought me Menodora."

" _And she is dead because of it._ "

"It has brought me the acquaintance of Deities."

" _They used you before you were even born._ "

"I have found friends in that same search to understand Light and to find the Ultimate Light."

" _They only stay because they need you to teach them. Once they are masters, they will all abandon you!_ "

"Light has brought me the love of Ariel when I thought I would never be able to love again."

" _Like the other Deities, she is using you only for her own goals. Sweet words of love and care can be spoken by anyone. Light hasn't brought you a single thing. It has only shown you who is afraid of the Dark._ "

"But what about…"

" _The Ultimate Light? A Farce. It only appears to be lighter because you aren't focused on the Darkness. If you want to be truly strong, then forget them all. Show them just how powerful your Darkness really is. Show them, Magus Sloe!_ " with heavy arms, Dane pulled himself up, picking up the lump of Darkness from the floor and watching the swirls of black and grey within it, dissipating his Light spell. All at once he reached for the Tome given to him by Arkarium. When he set it on the spine, the book fell open to the center page where it depicted an alchemic circle labeled the Gran Umbra Arca: The Great Circle of Dark Alchemy created in collaboration between he and Arkarium. He cleared the floor of any furniture, swept it clear of dirt and dust, the began to etch out the pattern in the stone floor.

"There is no Ultimate Light. It was only a lie to make the world seem less lonely. The only constant in this world is pain, and thus, Darkness. If they all want to fear something, then I will give them the Ultimate Darkness. They shall have Magus Sloe. The pursuit of Light has brought me nothing but pain!"

" _You may be able to create a power that towers even gods by combining Anti-Magic and Darkness, but even that will not have the power to destroy it all._ "

"Then I will absorb _all_ the world's Darkness!" Dane seethed.

" _Even by taking me in, you still will not have the power to eradicate everything. There is still that which exists beyond our little planet._ "

"Then I will take the power of Rhinne. Ariel wants to create a new world, then that is what she will have!" Shadows hissed around him as he carved turning his eyes a glowing red. His hands and arms became thin and boney, but still held great strength within them as he carved out the stone faster and faster.

"There is no Ultimate Light; it is a myth. There is however, Ultimate Darkness. And I will show it to them!"

* * *

3 hours earlier

Ariel was watching the world far below; there was something different about it. It was as if the planet itself were suffering from a bad case of the jitters waiting for something to happen. Rhinne stood beside her, focusing her attention on Will as he moved through the Forest of Peace.

"Please, just let me go back there. Something is happening I can feel it." Rhinne begged, shaking Ariel's concentration.

"No, it is too dangerous for you to…" Something caught Ariel's attention: a pull. No, this wasn't a pull, this was a call to her. A prayer. She had ignored it for so long before she met Dane that she had almost forgotten what a prayer felt like. With a command to Clank to keep her from leaving the Temple, Ariel followed the call to a fountain spewing darker colored sand than the rest of the fountains. Wiping her hand across the bench, she cleared the dust and grains away to see a title etched into the marble: Grandis. With a wave of her hand the fountain's streams formed a circle in midair, showing a view of a warrior dressed in heavy red armor, kneeling at his immense sword and holding his wings low.

"Goddess Ariel of the land called Usoria, please hear my prayer that I may tell of danger that is in your presence." Ariel grinned to herself, thinking back to the days when the people of Usoria used pray to her like that.

"I am here Warrior. I have heard your prayer and I answer. What is it that you beseech?" she asked, a glow lighting the area around the man. He looked up stunned, putting a hand before his eyes before bowing down once more.

"Goddess, I am a humble servant of my People. I am Keiser Vulcurion, Master Guardian of the Dracova. I come to you to warn you of one that was once our own but has strayed and thus has been banished. I fear that he has gone to Usoria and will do whatever it takes to gather power. Beware of him, for he is formidable."

"Be at ease Vulcurion. What is this man's name?" smiled Ariel.

"His name is Magnus, my goddess." Ariel tilted her head in interest.

"And what did Magnus do to deserve banishment from your lands?"

"Magnus is a Dracova of strong body and stronger will. He sought the title of Keiser and its power to overthrow neighboring countries to aggressively expand our territory. The title of Keiser is meant as a great responsibility to the Dracova as Master Guardian, not Conqueror. The previous Keiser thus chose me as her successor, but Magnus would not accept this and slew the Counsel of Ten, demanding that he be named Keiser."

"And so, for his crime you banished him and now he seeks power to take the title by force."

"Yes, my goddess."

"I thank you for your warning Keiser Vulcurion. I shall keep my eyes on the world for him." Vulcurion bowed his head lower, touching his fingers to his forehead before standing from his knelt position. With another wave of her hand, Ariel allowed the sands to collapse back together. So many things were happening in Usoria, it was a wonder that everything hadn't fallen apart already. She walked back to the Balcony that was overlooking Usoria when she heard Rhinne let out a shrill scream.

"NOOOOOOO!"

* * *

1 hour earlier

For the third time, Dane had counted the bars in his cell. For the third time he had been told to stop tapping his finger against them as he counted, and for the third time, he didn't abide. How could the Aurora be so blind as to what was happening? Mars _admitted_ that Dane was the one creating the stronger Omens, and that he had known about them for some time. And _still_ he saw no problem with it.

The weight of what he knew had to be done kept mounting on his mind, losing track after four hours. Tapping on the bars of his cell seemed like a way to bring in one of the Cleric to stop him and thus allow him to knock one out and escape by using their key. But they seemed to have an endless well of patience. There was still Will and Eleanor on the outside, but he didn't know what they were up to since they parted ways near the beginning of the day.

" _I have to get out of here NOW!_ " Tahir thought, looking to the lock on the cell door. If were a normal lock, he'd be able to pick it in a matter of moments. However, this lock was magically enchanted so even if he was able to pick the actual lock, the magic would keep it shut. From outside, he thought he could hear a hammer tapping on the stone coming closer to him. After a few moments, the sound stopped moving on his wall and became more of a pattern. When the tapping stopped he thought about what the pattern was trying to tell him until he heard the familiar sound of Light Magic charging.

No sooner had he dove to the side of his cell then a blast of light and sound ripped through the back wall. Instantly alarms began to sound, making the guards turn hard into the Brig. When they had, two figures appeared behind them, knocking them out with an impact to their necks.

"Commander, you ok?" Eleanor called, setting a heavy foot on the rubble of the back wall. Tahir coughed as he pushed his way out of the rubble, waving his hand back a forth to clear the dust away from his face.

"I'm fine. Try to leave a bit more time between your warning and your breaking of walls next time though."

"I doubt there will _be_ a next time. Master Mars has basically locked down the entirety of Aurora. He's even gone so far as to declare you a radical non-conformist." Will answered, grabbing the keys from the guards and unlocking the cell door to allow he and Vieren inside.

"There's a giant hole in the wall, why did you need to open that?" demanded Tahir as Vieren closed the cell, locked it, then brought the keys inside dropping them in the middle.

"So, it'll be harder to follow. Come on." Vieren urged, handing Tahir his dagger as they left the building running for the woods where they had gathered before. This time however, a dozen Acolytes and Clerics were waiting for them.

"We managed to convince a few of them to join us after we heard what happened in the temple." Will explained, introducing them all to Tahir who began drawing out plans to infiltrate the Aurora and stop Dane once and for all. Just as they were beginning to move out, all of them felt a wave of instability flood over them.

"What is this?! I'm standing still but the ground is moving!" one of the Acolytes exclaimed. Two others fell to their knees and wretched hard, shutting their eyes in trying to ease their sick feeling. Tahir and Will both steadied themselves against a tree while Eleanor struggled the keep her eyes open, shutting them from time to time.

"What is happening? It's like the world is spinning in its own skin." Eleanor shouted. Vieren slammed the end of his staff down as light exploded around them only to die away just as quickly.

"This is all Darkness. It is all the world's darkness being drawn somewhere."

"I know where it's headed." Tahir growled, pointing to the ground and drawing their attention to the woodgrain-like appearance of the ground rushing in the same direction they were headed.

* * *

Present time

With urgent steps, the small troupe hurried through the woods. As they ran, the whole world around them suddenly felt lighter, brighter than it ever had in their entire lives. Their momentary happiness was shattered when an explosion ripped through the air, blowing through the tree tearing branches and leaves from them. The force threw them all to the ground as a cloud of dark purple flames rose high into the air.

"What was that?!" and Acolyte called. No one said anything as they regained their footing and balance running for the temple once more. What greeted them was not the grand white a gold building they had known, but instead a mountain of rubble. The trees and grass all around had been splintered and burned away leaving nothing but ash and dirt behind. As they neared, a cold feeling began to descend making them all break out in goose flesh. Near the center of the building where the knowledge depository used to be, crouched a lone figure. Smoke-like aura poured from his back surrounding him in flames of black. Coming even closer allowed them to see dozens of the Aurora Clerics, some crushed and half buried under rubble. Others impaled on gold rods that had decorated the building.

A noise at their feet made them all begin digging through the rubble, keeping an eye on the figure that still sat crouched in the center, seeming not to care about their presence. A heavy mist began to fall on them as they dug, finally pulling back the stones to reveal Mars, battered and bloody. Eleanor lowered herself into the hole they had created and reached for his neck, barely able to feel a pulse. The touch made Mars open his eyes and roll on to his back.

"Oh… it's just you." He wheezed, a glob of blood dripping down his mouth as he coughed.

"Mars, don't speak, Will can fix you right up." Eleanor commanded, but Mars dropped a hand on her foot.

"There's no time. Run… run. The master has been consumed by the Darkness. There is no hope for him now." he said with a strained whisper. Turning his head to the sky, he closed his eyes, coughing again as blood soaked his magnificent mustache and ran down his face as the rain fell.

"I knew The Master was dabbling in the dangerous. But I wanted… to believe in the future we hoped to create… I wanted… to… believe." His head slumped to the side as the crystals in his Shining Rod lost their glow. Eleanor bowed her head and sighed hard. Vieren began to franticly looked around, pointing in directions as though trying to remember where certain halls used to be and ran. Tahir followed him, coming to an area where the Cleric's living quarters had been. Vieren anxiously looked around, trying to remember where his quarters had been. When he did find his room, there was nothing but rubble. Tears stained his eyes as he began to dig through it, calling for Tasia.

Tahir began digging through the rubble as well, knowing well the panic driven fear that Vieren felt. In his heart he prayed that he wouldn't be the one to find her and in the end he didn't. But when Vieren _did_ find her, she was already dead. With tender care, he lifted the last of the rubble from her broken body, screaming into the crook of her neck while cradling her in his arms and rocking back and forth. Beside him, Tahir noticed that his Shining Rod's glow began to intensify, lighting the dark area with an angry white light.

"Vieren, whatever you're thinking you need to stop now." But he was ignored as Vieren lay Tasia down, grabbed up his rod and charged the man sitting in the center.

"VIEREN STOP!" shouted Tahir, reaching for him but missing as he teleported away. Eleanor and Will both saw what was happening and tried to intercept him. But Eleanor was thrown aside as a doll and Will's entrapment spell was shattered. Eleanor tried once again to go after him, using her own teleportation spell but was unable to keep up with Vieren's rage fueled power. Teleporting into the air, Vieren raised his rod above his head, unleashing an enormous wave of blinding white light.

"YOU WILL PAY WHITE MAGE!" Vieren readied to unleash another wave. The first hit Dane hard, shaking the ground with its force. But the dust cleared in a flash as Dane threw his hand out, spear tipped chains bursting from the ground. With another broken-hearted scream, Vieren loosed another wave of light. It was obliterated as the chains punched through it, then through Vieren holding him in midair. Silence hung thick as the troupe looked on in horror; there were almost more chains than there was left of Vieren.

With another wave of his hand, the chains all spread, obliterating Vieren's body from existence before it all evaporated as a cloud of ash. Whispers hung thick in the air around Dane as he stood, turning his torrid red gaze to them.

"We have to stop his here. WE HAVE TO STOP HIM! HE CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE!" An Acolyte shouted, all the rest springing into action. Will commanded them to stop but was ignored, reaching out his hand as his own Rod flew to his hand. Eleanor took up her sword once again, charging over the piles of rubble. Tahir grabbed his dagger, jumping from boulder to boulder towards the fray. Dane however only smirked, the hood of his black and gold cloak covering one of his eyes as he swept his hand towards them.

The chains all turned their attention to the oncoming troupe, driving down hard enough to split rock if they missed their target. Bursts of light from the Acolytes and Clerics managed to get rid of the chains on contact but halted their assault. Eleanor spotted an opening and ran for it, teleporting point blank at Dane. As she swung her sword, Dane looked down at her instantly making her scream in fear. Her terror blinded her to chains coming from her side driving through her tough shield, armor and body. Again, the chains spread obliterating her body from existence before vaporizing it into ash.

Other Acolytes tried to advance, taking risks after shoving aside some of the chains. But they too would only get within striking distance before being skewered and obliterated. Tahir and Will fought as hard as they could, blasting or redirecting the chains into the ground. But with each minute that passed, their bodies began to tire and an ever-growing fear built within them.

Backing up to one another, Will and Tahir managed to keep the chains as bay more easily, but even that was short lived. The chains gathered, into one large group hitting Will hard enough to throw him aside and the rod from his hand. Once he landed, Will ran for his rod jumping at it to grab and tumble back up. Just as he was about to touch it, chains exploded from the ground through his body halting him in mid-flight. He could hear the commander call to him from far away, as a frigid feeling swelled within him.

He could feel the chains beginning to pull in all directions, pulling sinew from bone and muscle from muscle, but there was no pain. Instead, he felt as if he were simply disappearing. Somewhere in the far distance, he thought he heard a woman scream. He knew that voice; It was Rhinne's voice. But she was back in the Temple of Time with her mother. How could he hear her? All at once, he saw Tahir's dagger spin through the chains under him, cutting him down to the ground. As the chains within his body dissipated the blood began to flow making the cold deepen.

From the ground once more chains rose, all aiming down at him. Tahir forced his tired body to move, running to his downed friend. Just as the chains began to drive down, Will heard thuds and squelches, making him look up to see spear heads and chains poking through Tahir's chest and gut standing over him.

"I thought you wanted to cure the world of its Darkness, not become it." Grunted Tahir, barely standing after the chain spears hand punched through his body. A dark chuckle could be heard as Dane spoke.

"I _have_ erased it. And from it, I have created a power that even the gods can defeat. I just need one more thing and then it will all be over." Willing every last bit of strength left to him, Tahir walked to Dane, latching on to his cloak so as not to fall.

"You were the White Mage, the one who was going to save us. You can't do that as a black mage." Dane looked down to him, grabbing his shirt and hauling him into the air.

"I am saving you; by getting rid of it all. And please, call me Magus Sloe." He growled, throwing him aside, pulling the chains from his body one by one before carving up his body and vaporizing it into a cloud of ash.

"Thank you for all you have done. But your services are no longer required." Sloe barked, walking to Will who lay heaving for breath. Ash swirled from each of the wounds in his body, unable to move. Sloe stood over him blank, uncaring eyes glowing in the dark of his hood.

"You were _never_ worthy of my daughter, child." He whispered, walking away to the west. He had the power to go where he needed for the final piece to his power, but even he would not be able to do it alone. No, it's not that he couldn't do it alone, he just didn't want to expend the energy unnecessarily. He would need Soldiers, Commanders, and Generals. A dark smile spread across his face as the first came to mind: Hilda and her half dragon lover, Magnus.

* * *

 **This Chapter came out a little long than I wanted. But its here.**


	22. ST - Chapter 21: Prepare

Chapter 21: Prepare

So many things had spun in the wrong direction; Ariel created what the Mirror of Time showed, and how the birth of her daughter brought about a chance to avoid disaster. With a look into the mirror, Time and Usoria moved closer to that future, but the disaster still loomed in the shadows. Darkness was gone from the word, the goal that she and Dane both sought. It was gone from the world, but it wasn't vanquished. Ariel now clearly saw the one who would bring about the disaster she saw in the mirror: Dane. She now understood why the Monk of the Red had told her she had blinded herself.

" _I never thought, I never even considered that Dane would be the cause of the Disaster we were trying to avert. I believed you would be the one to find the answer._ " With Darkness gone from the world, Usoria began to heal: food began to grow again, the Omens were gone, and the people all began to seem happier than they had in some time. All the same, she couldn't have him coming to the Temple of Time as he was and tried to dissolve her contract with him. When it failed she remembered that Dane also had to willingly dissolve the contract. Doubting that he would consent to it, she instead blocked his entrance to the Temple by sealing the entrance she had created especially for him

In the shadows of the world though, she watched Dane begin to gather like minded people to him, even the former shamaness of Azwan she had protected Dane from so long ago. Rhinne became catatonic, walking around the Temple with Clank at her side not saying a word. She wasn't sleeping much either, as she would often wake screaming for Will. A few times Ariel cast a spell over her mind allowing her to sleep peacefully for a few hours. But even that would soon be broken and the nightmares would return.

Will didn't survive long after he had been run through with so many chains. There was so much wrong internally, and that was without the effect they left behind of turning flesh to ash. Ariel tried to once again help him, but his wounds were too great and his Life Force was already too weak to withstand her power. What Dane now wielded was not simply Darkness, it was a mix of Anti-Magic and Darkness making something even worse. Even Minerna might not be able to stand up to this power forever. Once Will had passed, Ariel created a new pseudo body and buried him in a ravine in Al Neth that overlooked the snowfields below. She carved out a rough headstone and created a small brass ring to mount in the top center of the stone, a token of the life that Rhinne and Will might have shared in the future..

"I'm sorry Will." She whispered, about to return to the temple and disintegrate her body when she met Dane face to face. The sight made her jump back calling a flame into her hand.

"Now, now, Ariel. There is no need to become violent." He said calmly, pulling the hood from his head to reveal his face. His cheeks had thinned and his eyes seemed dull, but he was still the man she loved which was the only thing holding her back.

"You know why I hold this spell at the ready." Miserably, Dane smiled a nodded as if there were some spec of regret for what he had become.

"I know, I know. But I've done it. I've rid the world of its Darkness, and now everything seems so bright and happy."

"Yes, but at what cost to you? You absorbed all the world's Darkness by using the most powerful Dark Alchemy there is!" Shouted Ariel, raising her hand again to throw her spell only lower her hand once again.

"The cost is great, my love. But this is what needed to happen. And now, our daughter can wipe this world away to begin anew with the power I will give her. Darkness will no longer be something that we would even need to worry about. All I need is for you to allow me entrance to the Temple." He explained, holding out his hand to her. Closing her hand Ariel dispelled her attack, lowering it to her side.

"I cannot allow you within the Temple as you are. The Darkness within you must be purged. Rhinne is half human and is unable to completely resist the influence of Darkness as I can. Who's to say what would happen if she were to give in to the throes of its power?" Dane closed his hand, the hopeful sad smile on his face fading into a blank stare. When he spoke again, there was an edge in his words.

"Ariel, you do remember our contract do you not? In it there is a line that says, and I quote; 'The power of our son or daughter shall be to the benefit of all once the research of the contracted, Dane Altoor, is completed. Upon completion, Dane shall pass his knowledge and power to the son or daughter which will erase Darkness from the world and create a new world', end quote. We both wrote this contract out together when I first came to the temple, do you remember?" Clenching her jaw Ariel nodded, looking away from him.

"That was before you became whatever this is. I heard the voices of Tahir and Will before you killed them and from what I have seen, you have succumbed to the influence of the Darkness." Ariel suggested, turning her attention back to Dane with hard eyes and set jaw. A ragged breath escaped Dane's nose closing his eyes and lowering his brow as he shook his head.

"You must believe me when I say that I tried to stop their lives from being lost. But the Darkness was so powerful, I did not anticipate it overwhelming as it did. But I have risen above it. I now control it, not it me." Danes words on the verge of tears, his voice sometime hitching as he spoke.

"And what of the other Clerics and Acolytes? Were they victims of your inability to maintain control?" Dane said nothing, only lowered his head and arms. Ariel sighed and began to walk to him.

"Dane, my love. Rhinne is in much pain right now; she may not have had a long relationship with Will but she did have feelings for him. You were the one that nearly tore him apart. You are the reason I buried him there." Ariel pointed back to the small tomb she had created just for him.

"Even if you were to convince her of what happened, I don't think it would be wise to expose her to so much concentrated Darkness right away. Her heart is half human, and as we both know the human heart can be swayed by even its own spot of Darkness." Neither of them said anything for a long while as the two of them simply stood in the snow. Something even colder than the Al Neth winds blew past Ariel; no not past, though her. Quickly she back away from Dane as whispers hung thick in the air.

"You would deny me my right to see my Daughter? You would deny the promise of our Contract?" he growled, chains springing from the ground all tipped with spears aiming for Ariel

"As you are, yes." Metal hitting rock rang behind her the instant she ceased speaking as a chain stuck in the ground, pulled tightly next to her cheek. The spines on each link brushed against her cheek, catching her skin and making her bleed. Surprise launched her away from it, her skin healing over but leaving a scar where the chain had scratched her. The strange feeling on her cheek made Ariel reach up to run her hand over the raised skin, her eyes becoming wide, her breath shortening and her hand beginning to shake. Even in a pseudo body, she was able to heal wounds without leaving any trace.

" _A scar? But how? I should be able to…_ "

"This is the first scar you've even had isn't it?" smiled Dane, turning his head up just enough to see her from under his brow, the shadows around his eyes making them glow all the brighter.

"Mixing Darkness and Anti-magic like this, what could you possibly hope to gain from something so terrible?" Ariel asked, holding a hand behind her and beginning to weave a disintegration spell for this body.

"I hoped to rid the world of its Darkness. And I have. But Anti-Magic was needed to do so. I call it Black Magic; it has the power to even kill deities!" he shouted, hurling another chain at Ariel's heart. The pseudo body disappeared in a plume of smoke just as the chain drove through it, burying itself into the ravine wall.

"You may think you can protect Rhinne by blocking my path! But I will come, and she will fulfill her destiny!" he shouted to the skies.

* * *

"We have to do something." Orchid hissed as she and Lotus watched from afar the meeting between Ariel and Dane. Lotus shook his head, pulling Orchid away and leading her back through the woods they had been living in for the past month.

"There isn't much we _can_ do. We tried to steer Human Dane away from what he was doing and look what happened to him anyway." Lotus seethed. With a heavy sigh they gathered what little food they had within their makeshift shack to have a meal. Life was difficult in the Al Neth region, but at least they weren't anywhere near Dane and his lunacy. As they ate, Lotus' eye became wide, darting back and forth as he dropped his spoon.

"Lotus? What the matter?" Orchid asked.

"It isn't Dane in control; it's the Darkness. It's in control of _him_! And the Darkness wants to destroy everything. He's not after Rhinne to make the worked a better place, he's after Rhinne because she has the power to ensure everything is destroyed."

"Then why doesn't he just go after Ariel? She has the same amount of power and _way_ more experienced?" holding his hands out, Lotus' eyebrows shot up as he tilted his head to the side.

"That's exactly the point! Rhinne doesn't know the extent of her power yet. Ariel does; Rhinne is an easier target!" Orchid covered her mouth, gasping through her nose with wide eyes.

"We have to warn Ariel!"

* * *

Clouds of sulfur and oxides billowed all around as Hilda mixed more and more ingredients into her potion. With the help of Arkarium, she had been able to enhance her youth potions by a hundred-fold, extending the time she needed to consume them by years. As she poured the last of her liquified moonlight in, the door opened and a lone figure came in on gliding steps. His cloak filled the door way, thundering as it caught the breeze behind him.

"It appears that your meeting with Ariel didn't go as planned." said Magnus with a growl.

"That is was not my purpose Dracova. I merely wanted to test her resolve to keep my daughter away from me." Sloe answered, reaching for a vial of a dark substance.

"And how is her resolve?" Asked Hilda, maneuvering her hand over her potion drawing it into one of a dozen sitting within a cabinet.

"Quite high. But even that will fall. Are your armies ready Hilda?" Smirking darkly as she shut the cabinet, Hilda sauntered over to Magnus, putting her arms around his shoulders.

"I am waiting on the last of the ingredients for my spell to complete. Once that has finished, we will have a legion of the undead at my command." Magnus pulled Hilda closer to him, looking up at Sloe from under his brow.

"My specters are ready at any time. Thanks to the power you've given me, I have multiplied my forces by a hundred-fold." Magnus grinned, revealing a broken fang amidst his teeth.

"Good. And what of Arkarium? Has he been readying his forces?" Neither Hilda nor Magnus were able to answer his question, only able to shrug and point him in the direction Arkarium was. As Sloe walked into the area, the old mage's huge snake familiar opened its eyes and reared from its sleeping position on the ground. Spreading its hood wide its tongue flickered while locking its unblinking gaze at him.

"Ah, Master Sloe, I was wondering when you were going to return. I have some concerns that I must bring before you."

"Arkarium, are your forces ready?" Sloe asked blankly.

"That is what I wish to discuss with you. Shouldn't my force of Serpent Sorcerers be the ones to lead the way? Magnus' forces will only draw unwanted attention…"

"Which is why I have given you the position of Right Flank. You will surprise them as Magnus and his forces draw out any that would stand in our way."

"Yes, but he is brutish and unrefined. Should the position of Vanguard be for someone that has the power to move through forces unimpeded. My forces would be much better suited for the task. It was _I_ that assisted in making the Gran Umbra Arca after all."

"You will take the position that I give you, is that understood Arkarium?" asked Sloe, whispers hissing in the air around them. Letting out a hard sigh, Arkarium bowed his head slightly. Sloe turned and left while Arkarium clenched his fists. He deserved to be the vanguard for the attack, he was the one whom had contributed the most!

" _In fact, I should be the ONLY one that Sloe needs. Magnus has been here but a few months, and Hilda hardly contributes at all!_ " His thoughts swirled and mounted until a dark smile spread across his face. Gathering his solid Jade skull for focus and further waking his familiar, Arkarium summoned a small force of his Serpent Sorcerers and left, determined to win Sloe's favor.

* * *

Upon returning to the temple, Ariel was greeted by the sight of the Temple Knights patrolling the halls much more intensely. The most powerful of them, the Oblivion Knights, were stationed at each hallway, while the Qualm and Memory Knights patrolled.

"What happened? I gave no order to Mobilize." Ariel asked, catching one of the Monks of the Red by the sleeve as he passed her.

"Clank was watching when you went to burry Will and were met by Dane. He listened to your conversation and then reported it to his Chief. That Chief then went General Lilynouche who went to your mother. She is the one who gave the order to Mobilize." Replied the monk. Shutting her eyes Ariel took a deep agitated breath and let him go.

"Very well. Please continue and have the Chief of the Oblivion Knights come see me."

"Yes, my goddess." The monk answered, turning away down a hall while Ariel summoned up a creature made of an hour glass having small wings on the top.

"Show me to my daughter Rhinne." She commanded. A single eye within the sand of the hourglass bubbled up, looking around for a moment then sharply turned and flew in that direction. It led her to Rhinne's room where she dismissed the creature into a cloud of sand. Outside the room, Clank stood guard.

"Has Rhinne said anything since I've gone?" Ariel asked. Clank's eyes glowed to life within his helm as though waking from a nap.

"Rhinne has been quiet. I must return to the barracks my goddess as my mana is running quite low." Ariel nodded slightly to release him from his post. Clank immediately left for the barracks, clouds of sand dust getting kicked up along his path. Knocking softly on Rhinne's door she listened for her voice a moment. When no noise came Ariel called to her, slowly opening her door to see her curled up on her bed laying as still as stone.

"Rhinne?" Ariel called again, carefully closing the door and moving to sit on her bed where she could see her reddened face and tear-soaked pillow. Reaching over, Ariel ran her hand over Rhinne's silvery hair.

"Why did he do it?" whispered Rhinne, staring across the room, dried riverbeds of tears still clinging to her face.

"He was such a good person. He didn't deserve it. And why didn't you save him again?" Turning her head towards Ariel revealed her eyes to be dull and distant, unable to reflect the light coming from the small sparks that floated throughout the temple.

"I wouldn't have been able to save him. The magic eating away at him would have required more power than his body would have been able to withstand." Rhinne's eyes squinted shut and rolled her face back into her pillow. Just as Ariel began to speak, one of the Memory Knights came through the door.

"Goddess, your presence is needed urgently." Nodding her acknowledgement, she kissed Rhinne's head and departed, closing the door softly behind her.

"What is the matter that would require my urgent attention?" Ariel questioned, stopping mid stride when she the sound of an explosion echoed through the halls.

"Someone has brought an assault on the Temple. A thin man with long white hair and beard has come, commanding an army of Serpent mages." Lowering her brow, Ariel spread her wings and hurried towards the noise. Upon arriving she was almost hit with a bolt of some form of magic, black in color, that fizzed past her and disintegrated part of the wall where she stood overlooking the main gate of the Temple.

"What is happening? Who is he that comes to the Temple like this?" Ariel demanded, turning her attention to the front gate, extending her vision to survey the area where a thousand serpents stood waiting for the few at the front to dispatch the gate.

"We have yet to determine that, goddess. We received word from the Sanctuary on the Mountain that an army was approaching. Within minutes we received another message saying they had been defeated and were marching to the temple." Ariel surveyed the area where the serpents stood, poised with unnatural stillness when something slammed into her face, throwing her to the ground in pain. She quickly healed the area around her right eye, but the Chief Knight explained nothing had hit her.

"There must be someone within that company that can see my extended vision and hurt me via that. As far as I am aware, Dane's…" She paused for a long while as the realization that Dane was gone, but there was no other name for him

"…Black Magic is the only thing that could do something like that. Whoever this is must be in league with him. General Dodo!" Ariel called. A large shadow loomed over them, the enormous creature slowly and gracefully lowering itself into Ariel's view.

"Drive them back, do not let them enter the Temple ground at any cost." The Whale-like creature gave a wailing hum in acknowledgement, turning away through the air and humming out commands in a language made of sounds and clicks. Memory Knights charged from the Temple, storming the front gate just as it collapsed. A few Serpents began to enter, only to be cut down as the knights formed their swords and devastated the front ranks.

The charging force of knights was met with equally brutal force as the rest of the serpents unleashed wave after wave of dark colored magic. General Dodo slammed his body on the force of serpents, leaving only a few the knights easily dispatched. The only one remaining of the attacking force was the thin man standing at a distance. In one hand he held a green skull, a black staff in the other with his great cobra familiar coiled behind him.

"Fools, all of you! I am Arkarium, Master of Dark Alchemy and Earl of Devastation, the second in command to Magus Sloe! Your submission is the only thing that will save you and your daughter at this point Ariel!" Arkarium shouted, holding forward the skull as it lit up shining discomforting light all around him. General Dodo lifted into the air once more as a whining groan came from him shaking the ground and small pebbles. The Knights, all rushed to a circle around Arkarium jamming their swords into the ground, each of their pommels linking with a thread of bright blue energy.

Arkarium laughed as a bright red beam shot from his orb only to strike a barrier rippling before him. With raised eyebrow, Arkarium released a darker beam, this time tearing through the barrier and obliterating three of the knights in its path. The barrier wavered for a moment before more knights came and filled in the space. With another laugh, he released another dark red beam only to watch in befuddlement when the beam struck the barrier again.

"The Barrier of Memory. Once broken, that which broke it before will no longer work." General Dodo said, his words slow and deep making the very air quiver. Growling, Arkarium released another much larger beam, his familiar glowing and rising behind him spreading its hood wide. Again, the Barrier was broken, and again, more knights were obliterated, but again more knights came and rebuilt the barrier. With a yell Arkarium released the same beam once more, only to find that it would n longer break through it

"Impossible! Dark Alchemy is able to break down all magic!"

"Not when that magic is countered by itself. The Barrier of Memory is much like a human immune system, Arkarium." Called Ariel as she glided down to the circle, armor appearing on her shoulders and torso.

"Its power comes from that which broke it before and is immune to that attack for all time." Arkarium sneered, looking around for an escape route when he spotted a smaller strike force of his serpent mages coming up near the front gate.

"Then if I can't break it from within, perhaps I will break it from without! ATTACK!" he shouted. The serpents all lept onto the knights, tearing pieces from them or getting cut down. Within a few seconds, the barrier began to waiver as more and more knights were eliminated from it until it broke as a glass dome. After another few minutes, blood, bodies and metal lay strewn across the ground but Arkarium was nowhere to be seen.

"AFTER HIM! He must have fled!" shouted a Chief Memory Knight.

"Belay that order!" called Ariel, dispelling her armor, looking around at the devastation that lay all around her.

"Everyone, back to the temple. General Dodo, Gather all your Knights. Set them all around the Temple and erect the Barrier of Memory around it." Dodo hummed as he turned and swam through the air back to the temple. Ariel herself went to the Mirror of Time, watching for any sign that what she was doing would avert the disaster she had seen. Peace had become more prominent but was still over shadowed by the looming disaster beside it.

"Monks of the Temple! Gather your strength and forces and report to your generals to assist the knights. General Lilynouche! General Lykyra, I require your presence." Ariel called. Within moments, a giant Knight Chess piece made of ice, and a red bull with gilded armor around its horns approached.

"We answer your summons goddess." The said in unison.

"Lilynouche, take your Qualm Knights and set up blockade along the choke points of the temple. Lykyra, I want you to take your Oblivion Knights and take up defense of the innermost chambers of the Temple. Have the Qualm Knight designated as Clank escort Rhinne there and hold it at all costs." a billow of flames plumed from Lykyra's snout.

"Goddess, such a mobilization has not been required since the time of the Great Beginning. What are we preparing for?" he asked, his heart racing and his muscles itching.

"War."

* * *

With as much stealth as he could muster, Arkarium quietly navigated the halls trying to make it back to his room and laboratory where he could replenish his army of Serpent Sorcerers.

"Where have you been grandpa? And where is that contingent you left with?" Hilda asked, pulling her lips to the side in a smirk as she leaned against the wall.

"That is none of your concern Hilda. Don't you have a Dracova to keep busy?" he huffed.

"It may not be my business…" Hilda's voice smiled.

"…But it _is mine_. I will give you a chance to explain yourself Arkarium." Sloe boomed, appearing behind him in a plume of black vapors, making him jump and turn around almost in a blur of color.

"Master Sloe!"

"Again, I will give you a chance to explain where you were Arkarium." Sloe demanded. Arkarium paused, his mind racing and his skin feeling damp as a cold sweat began to form.

"I took a small scouting force to the Sanctuary on Mount Anima located on the far side of the East Dragon Forest and Eliminated all inside. I did so in order to make it easier for us to infiltrate the Temple and retrieve Rhinne. After I did that, I surveyed the temple itself."

"And what did you find?" Sloe asked slowly, speaking through clenched teeth.

"I was not able to determine much, except that the front gate is well guarded at all times. There are also beings made of armor that are able to create something called The Barrier of Memory. It is able to become immune to whatever broke through it." Arkarium's lips and tongue felt dry; if Magus Sloe was to know about his true intentions and that he lost an entire platoon in a matter of seconds, replacing his soldiers would be the least of his worries.

"I see. Then can you explain to me why it is that you've not only lost the entire platoon you took with you, but that Ariel has mobilized all the forces of the Temple? You FOOL!" Sloe roared, whispers hissing in the air around them making Arkarium slowly back away.

"Your arrogant gesture not only made Ariel take more precautions, but now you are without nearly two thirds of your armies you have cost us the element of surprise!" Chains began to clink into existence from seals appearing in the air, each with a spear head at their ends aimed for Arkarium.

"I will spare you for now Arkarium, as I still have use for you. But make no mistake, if you delay progress as such again, I will follow through. Is that _understood_?" Sloe's voice dropped to a hissing whisper, seeming to echo all around Arkarium.

"Yes Master, I understand fully."

"Prepare the troops." Sloe commanded as he turned to Hilda.

"We go to war _NOW!_ "


	23. ST - Chapter 22: War

Chapter 22: War

Days went by after Ariel had mobilized everything in the Temple in uneasy silence. All communication with the Sanctuary on Mount Anima, the custodians of the secret entrance to the Temple of Time on Usoria, had since gone unanswered. Ariel had dispatched a small squadron of Monk of the Green to investigate the state of the Sanctuary. They had since changed from their robes and donned cloth clothing, resembling a group the humans of Usoria called Ninja.

"Goddess, I and my party have returned." Called the monks, bringing with them two teens.

"What is it that you have found?" Asked Ariel with almost stern stoicism.

"There is nothing left of the Sanctuary. Arkarium might have done the most damage when he first came, but the forces of Magus Sloe have since decimated the rest of it. Their forces number in the thousands. Despite our best efforts, we were discovered by his forces; two of the monks with us were run through by chainsand joined his ranks." Ariel let out a long sad sigh, bowing her head and clenching her fist tightly.

"They will be reminisced in the Halls of Memory. For now, we have no time to mourn. We must prepare for the immanent attack." Turning from the returning squadron, she was about to give an order when that same cold wind blew through her.

"GODDESS! BEHIND YOU!" a voice screamed. Ariel's armor appeared around her shoulders and torso as she turned to face what was behind her. One of the monks that had returned lunged for her, his arm having been transformed into a mass of thorny chains. The face of the monk had become scared and twisted as it leapt past her. The other four monks that had been part of the squadron began also twisting and deforming into masses of chains and deformed flesh.

"I…I'm sorry goddess…" the first monk wheezed, the chains making up his arm readying to attack once more.

"I bare you no ill, good monk." Ariel smiled, holding her hand out as a bright white light erupted from it, enveloping the monk and obliterating him. The other monks lunged at her, chains flowering from their arms and met with the same blast. These monks however did not disappear when Ariel's light hit them, only tumbled across the floor of the temple. Scrapes and squeals howled in the air as the monks pulled themselves back to their feet. Ariel again unleashed a blast of light on them only to have the same thing happen, sending them further across the floor. Some of the Qualm Knights in reserve summoned their spears pinning the monks to the ground. Ice crackled down their spears encasing them within seconds.

"What were those things?" the Monks of Blue asked in surprise.

"Those appear to have been Monks of the Green I sent to investigate the Sanctuary. Somehow Dane is able to forcefully pull others under his control."

"Should we pull the Memory Knights away from the front of the temple? If they are turned, there's no telling what would happen!"

"Whether we pull them back now or regroup later, the risk is the same. This was only a warning. Dane is trying to scare us, but we must stand fast. Whom was the one that called out to me before the Monk attacked?" Ariel asked, looking around through the ranks of Qualm Knights surrounding her. Two teens stepped from the crowd appearing to be twins.

"Were you the ones that warned me?" The twins nodded vigorously, standing stiffly as she neared them.

"You two were once helpers of Dane back in the temple of the Aurora." She smiled, her features softening. Again, the twins nodded vigorously still nervously stiff.

"There's no need to be afraid of me, unless you have joined ranks with the force that is coming." Ariel's features hardened, light springing to life in her hand once more.

"No! No no no no no no no. we were trying to come here when we were met by your scouting party at the Sanctuary." The boy answered, waving his hands back and forth with just as much vigorousness as he had his head.

"I'm Lotus, this is my twin Orchid. We told the monks that we needed tell you some vital information when we were attacked. Once the attack was over though, your monks came back for us." With a wave of her hand Ariel dispelled her power and her features softened once again. She remembered when these two were but sprites of the forest under the care of Guwaru, and when Dane had made them human.

"I see. What is it that you needed to tell me so badly?" Lotus looked to Orchid who urged him on.

"Dane isn't coming after your daughter to make the world a better place. He is being controlled by Darkness." Ariel sighed hard and nodded her head, folding her hands behind her.

"Yes, I am aware of this fact. Ever since he took in the Darkness from the world, he plans to use our daughter for his own selfish gains."

"No, he doesn't. It's far, far worse than that. The Darkness within him wants your daughter so that he can destroy everything, permanently!"

"And how do you know this?" Ariel asked with an edge in her voice.

"We are creatures that have been altered by Darkness. Thus, we understand it the most. Darkness only wants one thing: vengeance for the wrongs that make it up by destroying everything that anyone loves. And for something like this, it extends across all existence."

"So, we aren't fighting against the twisted will of one man, we are fighting the festering wounds of the world." The realization didn't impact her as the twins had hoped, rather just made the situation all the more desperate to keep Rhinne away from Dane. An explosion against the barrier outside the temple rippled through the floor shaking all of them where they stood.

"He's here!" shouted a Knight. Ariel lowered her brow holding her hand out as an enormous axe formed in it and more armor appearing around her body.

"Let us meet our foe! For we shall ensure the survival of all who live in this world and the worlds beyond! Let them sing of our war and remember those that have fallen! Stand strong! Stand tall! Stand, AND FIGHT!" The roar coming from the knights made the air quiver as they divided up to their tasks. Ariel flew to the front gate, calling Qualm Knights to her side and readying to charge should some of Dane's forces break through. Outside the barrier, thousands of warrior skeletons summoned by Hilda filed up the path. Warrior mages donned in black armor and cloaks pummeled the barrier with sword driven spells, slowly cracking it.

"We would help you if you would have us." Orchid said. Ariel nodded, turning her attention back to the gate.

"Help wherever you can, he must be kept away from the temple." Ariel commanded, adjusting her sweaty grip on the axe, letting the cutting-edge rest on the ground. Qualm Knights summoned their spears as the plumes of blue flames coming from their body flared brighter. Eventually the cracking Barrier did break with the sound of shattering glass. The knights began to redrive their swords only to freeze when chains pierced through their armor. The reserve memory knight quickly charged, pushing those hit with the chains outside and re-erecting the barrier. Ariel could only watch as the metal making up those knights screeched and squealed into new shapes, darkening to gunmetal while the flames lost their color to black.

Once the chains pulled from their bodies, the tear in the armor healed over. The former knights began to break through the barrier. Ariel felt a pull on her mind again, remembering the feeling as a prayer from someone. She flew as fast as she could to the fountain the pull was coming from finding that it was the same fountain the Dracova Warrior had called to her from. Waving her hand, she saw the same warrior in red armor kneeling on the ground.

"Goddess Ariel of the land called Usoria, please hear my prayer…."

"I am here Warrior. I have heard your prayer and I answer. What is it that you beseech?" she asked, staying her want to return to the font gate where she was needed.

"I have gathered a force of Dracova Warriors who ready and willing to help defend against Magnus, if you will allow us. I know that we are from a different place and may believe in deities much different from you, but Magnus is one of our own. I do not wish the people of Usoria to face him without at least our trying to help." Ariel nodded, waving her hand again as the portal became bigger, a stairway appeared at the bottom.

"Come Warriors of the Dracova. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Step through that portal. It will lead you to the bottom of a mountain. Take the path up that mountain and it will lead you to the rear guard of a force that has come to my temple. Be careful, as they are powerful."

"Thank you, goddess Ariel. We Dracova will do all that we can." He answered, calling back to his warriors in another language. Ariel didn't stay long enough to listen or watch as they went through, returning to the front of the temple where the newly corrupted Memory Knights were breaking through faster than before. As soon as the barrier broke, the chains once again shot through, piercing through another few Knights. The reserve Memory Knights once again pushed them outside the barrier and were trying to erect it again, but the process took too long. A few fast-moving skeletons and wisps of black vapors came through. Qualm Knights at the order of Lilynouche broke rank, attacking the infiltrators.

Within seconds the skeletons were reduced to nothing, their bones scattering across the ground. However, the wisps were harder to deal with as some became shadowy mages, while others appeared to be swordsmen, blasting and cutting the Knights at will. The knight's armor bodies screeched as weapons punched through the steel after being weakened by fire. Another few minutes passed as the wisps were dispatched, ultimately killing the knights as the damage to their bodies was too severe and released too much of their mana.

Again, the corrupted knights broke through, and again more chains hit a larger part of the Memory Knights as they were pushed back and the barrier reinforced. But again, more skeletons and wisps broke through, attacking the ranks of the Memory knights allowing the barrier to fall again all the faster.

"Shouldn't the Barrier be getting stronger?" asked a Monk of the Blue as he watched the barrier be broken time and again.

"The corrupted Memory Knights must be the key to weakening it enough to break through. If this keeps up, we won't have enough Knights to maintain the barrier. General Lilynouche, ready your Knights, when next that barrier falls you are to charge. General Dodo! Have your Chiefs ready to engage the next time that barrier falls…" her words stopped short when she heard a badly out of tune bell reverberate in the air. Again, the sound came drawing Ariel's attention to the barrier as a ripple spread through it, turning it shades of blue and purple as though it were stressed metal.

"What was that?" Looking around, Ariel could see nothing until she looked straight up where she saw an absolutely gargantuan chain resting on the top of the barrier. When she caught sight of it, it began pulling back into a planet sized seal above them. Cracks had begun to form where the chain had hit when it came again, thrown against the barrier. It hit hard enough to send cracks to the ground where the knights stood. Some of the knights themselves began to show cracks in their armor, leaking bright green flames and blue haze from within.

"Goddess! If we don't take down the barrier now we will lose all of the Memory Knights! The barrier is directing the excess stress onto them!" a Chief Memory Knight called.

"If we lower the barrier, then all those forces will advance. The barrier must hold as long as it can!" Ariel commanded, watching as another eight large seals appear before the gate all revealing enormous spear tipped chains.

"If we don't lower the barrier we will lose almost a third of our forces!" The chains appearing at the front all launched, striking the barrier hard enough to crack it and break some small pieces from it as glass.

"GODDESS! WE MUST LOWER THE BARRIER!" the Chief shouted, watching as the chains pulled back into their seals readying to launch again. Ariel's grip on her axe tightened, her mind racing.

"GODDESS!" Lifting her axe from the ground, Ariel held it straight out from her.

"Lilynouche! Form your ranks! Prepare to Charge! Memory Knights! Drop the Barrier on my command!" she shouted as the immense chain above slammed into it once again. Sheets of the barrier broke away showing them all with shards of the dissipating barrier.

"NOW!" Just as the chains launched from their seals the air shimmered as the barrier disappeared. The chains howled as they flew, slamming into the temple and disappearing below its marble exterior were ash began to swirl in clouds from the impact points.

"CHARGE!" the answering roar of the knights spread through the halls of the temple, echoing enough to create the sound of thousands more. Skeletons, wisps and knights alike slammed into one another, swords clattering as steel and bone shattered. Ariel spun through the ranks as though she were a dancer, splitting through the wisps and breaking skeletons. Those that tried to attack her from the left or right were met with her strong wings, thrown aside before being met with her axe. Monks stayed as close as they could to the knights, healing the damage done to them by the skeletons or the wisps. But the most frightening thing were the chains that would strike from far in the distance, striking knights and corrupting them within a few moments. With each strike, Ariel found that she was taking down more and more knights, some of them having stood beside her a moment before.

Sometimes chains would come for her but were deflected away, showering her with sparks and flakes of blackened metal. Through the crowd, she caught a glimpse of _him_ : Dane. He stood near the center of the throng, hurling chain after chain into the maw and turning Knights faster and faster as those he had corrupted before held other Knights in place.

"General Dodo! Gather your forces and go for…" before she could finish, a score of chains slammed through the whale's body spraying his golden blood everywhere before being torn apart. Ariel was frozen in place, unable to give commands. Cold ran through her body as her hands began to shake. The giant gold and dark blue helmet he wore crashed into the ground before her, splattered with his blood. It had happened so quickly she hardly had time to process it. One of the knights grabbed her and ran back for the temple, only faintly able to hear the desperate cry to fall back. Chains struck the ground where they ran, some slamming into them from behind burying them in the ground or cutting those that ran in half.

The knight carrying her disappeared from her side as a chain drove him into the ground and she let momentum carry her into the temple. Qualm Knights and a few remaining Memory Knights shut the door behind her. Just as the doors were to meet a huge chain burst through the center, splintering the door apart and slamming into the wall, instantly beginning to turn it to ash.

"Goddess, what are your commands!" a Chief Memory Knight thundered. Ariel only stared at him, his voice sounding as though he were a long way off. She had known Dodo since she first existed, and he was just… gone. Willing her mind to focus, she brought her attention back to the present.

"Stand… Stand firm! We must not let him into the temple!" she commanded, finally gaining her senses and summoning her axe to her hand. They may have lost one of their generals, but the fight wasn't over just yet. Squaring her shoulders, she walked to the front lines behind the door, holding her axe high and back. The few remaining Memory Knights all gathered on either side of the door. Ariel nodded and the company charged to meet the oncoming force. Ariel swung hard unleashing a wave of ice.

* * *

"It seems as though her resolve is beginning to break Master Sloe. It must not have been that strong if she was frozen by the mere sight of a general dying." Hilda said with a laugh, holding her staff forward making the skeletons that had been broken before gather back together and shamble on.

"She is an immortal deity that has never seen brutal death up close. I intend break her entirely." Sloe seethed, summoning another chain, breaking through the front gate to make it wider.

"And what of the temple? Shouldn't we try to preserve it if only to have a place to rule from once this is all over?" asked Magnus, motioning towards the chains still buried in the temple's front and the one currently within the temple itself through the front door.

"This temple is a monument to all that is wrong in the world. Once we have Rhinne, the other deities will be easily dethroned. Even Minerna herself will be unable to stand against us." Proud eyes stared up to the sky above the temple; finally, the world would pay for what it had done. They would _ALL_ know what it was to loose what they loved most, to feel as he felt.

" _You do know that this will not satisfy your need, don't you?"_ a voice asked in his mind. Sloe grit his teeth, biting down on his lip hard enough to make it bleed. The bothersome sliver of Dane that remained still pestered him with questions about his purpose, his reasoning and his path. This was the best way to ensure that justice was served. A shout from the rear guard comprised of Arkarium's forces made him turn around to see soldiers sporting dragon's wings coming up the path, cutting through the serpent sorcerers.

"Magnus, do you know of these coming from our rear?" Sloe asked flatly.

"Yes, that is Kaiser Vulcurion, the reason I came to you. Let me vanquish him for you Master. With the power you've given me and my more powerful Specters, I will overwhelm him." Sloe nodded and Magnus sprung into the air. Throwing his hand out and drawing his massive sword, meteors of black magic struck the ground. Dozens of mage and swordsman Specters formed amid the ranks of the Dacova warriors. Magnus dove for the Kaiser, calling his name as their sword met with so much force the soundwave shoved Arkarium's forces away.

"Do you think he can handle him?" Hilda asked as she watched the fight, sparks flowering with each sword impact.

"That is not our concern. It is his. Our task remains ahead." Sloe answered, walking towards the temple following after his turned Knights of the Temple. Hilda stood in silence, dread beginning to build in her chest making the lump in her throat harder and harder to swallow. She had only known Magnus for a short time, but her heart was already his, at least, what was left of it.

" _Magnus, don't do anything rash._ " She thought, turning and following after Magus Sloe. She hesitated only long enough to watch as the Kaiser and Magnus flew into the air, sword blows echoing like thunder.

* * *

The skeleton forces eventually pushed their way into the temple: no matter how many they cut down, there were always more that came. Each minute that passed pushed them further and further back in the temple. The second line of Qualm Knights had been broken and they were half way to the third line. After them, only the force of Oblivion Knights remained.

Releasing a blast of light, Ariel obliterated a massive file of skeletons. The wave rallied the Chief Qualm knights beginning to push them back, cutting down all that were in her way with swings of her axe and blasts of her power. As she swung through a particularly large creature made of shadow, her axe stopped hard. When she saw what had stopped it, her blood ran cold as the strength left her legs. Standing before her was Dane, holding back her axe with a taught chain eating away at the metal.

"Hello Ariel, My love."

"You are not Dane! Dane died when he took you in." Sloe laughed, pulling the chain away and swatting at her, smacking the axe to the ground hard enough to make Ariel's hands numb.

"You are very much mistaken my love. I am very much alive. I simply have awakened to what I am capable of. Stand down and let me see my daughter."

"No! Never!" Ariel screamed, swinging her axe hard only to be slapped aside by a chain. Ariel spun on the ball of her foot, unleashing a wave of ice. Chains broke through it as others hurled at her, crisscrossing the halls from different seals. Spinning her axe as a blur she managed to deflect the majority of them, ignoring the searing pain in her wings as some ground through them. A blast of power launched from Ariel as another blast of equally intense power from Dane met and obliterated it, the resulting explosion forcing all fighting to the ground.

Taking advantage of the resulting smoke Ariel lunged with a hard swing. Bind as she was, she was unable to avoid the spear chain shooting up, cutting through her side. She tried to glide away, but the injuries to her wings made it impossible. She was only able to go a small distance before falling to the ground. No sooner had she hit the ground then chains wrapped around her body, the thorns on each link digging into her skin. Ariel screamed in pain as they tightened, digging further and further into her flesh.

"I _will_ see my daughter. Cease this pointless battle!" he demanded, tightening the chains even further. Ariel began to feel her arms and ribs give way under the pressure: if they wound any tighter her chest was bound to collapse. She could hear the bones beginning to creak within her body when a large metal spear shot over her, cutting through the chains. Both turned to see whom had thrown the spear to see a Qualm Knight with a small red and white ribbon hanging from his pauldron.

"Clank!"

"Goddess, Quickly! This way!" he shouted. Ariel disappeared in a flash of light, teleporting behind him as he backed her away from Dane.

"You cannot stop me Ariel!" he shouted as chains burst from around him, slamming through the ranks of Knights.

"Lilynouche! Rally your Knights! Push Dane back!" Ariel called as a wave of blue formed before her. Each of the Knights, chiefs included, summoned their spears and drove them into the ground. Ice flared across the ground crackling like thunder. Everything before them was frozen in place, including Hilda and more importantly Dane.

"General, keep him there as long as you can. The temple will fall and there is only one thing I can do now." Ariel commanded.

"You would do such a thing? Where would you go? There is no place on Usoria that you could go and remain hidden!" Lilynouche shouted, their attention pulled to the ice surrounding Dane as it began to crack, black vapors seeping from them.

"I don't know, I only know that I must. Please Lilynouche." Ariel begged as she healed her wounds, fresh scars all over her body still glaring scarlet. Lilynouche whinnied softly as shards of ice formed around her and a single horn formed in the middle of her head.

"I will do what I can, goddess. Go." Ariel picked herself up, running through the ranks when she felt her wings were too damaged to fly. Behind her she could hear the sound of breaking ice, Lilynouche and the Qualm Knights fighting hard to keep Dane at bay. All too soon those noises were silenced and as she looked back, she could see Dane, Hilda, and an army of skeletons and former Knights if the temple flooding through the halls after her.

* * *

Orchid coughed hard, finally waking her from her stupor. Something cold felt like it was wedged in her gut. Looking down she saw a large sword stabbed through her into the ground while a broken skeleton lay beside her. She tried to pull it out only to have the sharp edges of the sword cut into her hands. When the sword wouldn't budge, she looked around to see where she was, finding Lotus a few feet away from her with spears through his back.

"Lotus. Lotus answer me." She called. Lotus stirred, his head falling to the side but his eyes dull.

"Orchid, is that you?"

"I'm over here. Reach for me." Orchid called weakly, reaching out her hand.

"I can't move Orchid. My body won't move." Orchid tried to move, but the pain of the sword in her halted her movement.

"Please Lotus, reach. I'm scared. Don't leave me alone." She pleaded. But Lotus didn't answer, nor did he move anymore. Orchid called again and again, the pain of the sword stopping her from calling anymore loudly.

"Lotus, please don't leave me alone." She whispered, before the dark closed around her vision, and she fell limp.

* * *

"Third Rank of Qualm. Ready your spears and Charge!" Ariel shouted, running past the line further into the temple. She stood waiting far from the final line of Qualm Knights as they unleashed their wave of ice. The oncoming ranks froze in place only to be swept aside as splinters of ice with chains. The knights tried valiantly to fight off the chains fired at them, but they quickly fell to the impaling links, turning around and beginning their onward march. Ariel forced her hand out, blasting the roof of the temple making it collapse in their path, blocking it up to slow them down and give her time.

She had tried everything that she could think of battling against the thousands of his soldiers and still he came as though he were brushing aside a lock of hair. The last-ditch effort was to run to the inner most chambers where Rhinne was for safe keeping and escape from their home, the Temple of Time. Running past the final line of defense, she called the Oblivion Knights to attention, telling Lykyra that they must hold the line.

The red bull nodded, turning his attention to the sound of marching down the hall. Fire blazed around his hooves and horns, billowing from his snout. Ariel could hear the sound of her final and most powerful General let out a desperate billow, the thunder of his hooves fading down the hall and crashing into the oncoming soldiers.

She hoped that she he could hold Dane long enough to gather Rhinne and escape. When Ariel burst through the doors she realized she was too late. Dane was already standing next to her bed, gently brushing his finger across her cheek as she slept.

"I'm surpised she's managed to sleep through the sounds of battle." Dane smirked.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ariel screamed, holding her hand out as a flame roared to life. Dane appeared before her, grabbing her wrist with leisurely speed and locking eyes with her, malevolent whispers hanging in the air around them.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Rhinne groaned as she woke from her slumber when she saw the black cloaked figure standing before he mother. The grip on her wrist made her hand begin to turn white. Rhinne looked around for her personal friend and guard whom had eased her to sleep, but he was nowhere to be seen. The man standing before her made her blood run cold, realizing this was the same man that had slaughtered Will.

"LET HER GO!" Rhinne screamed, throwing the covers off and readying an attack spell, fear thick in her eyes. The sight of Will being run through so many times flashed through her mind, petrified the same would happen to her mother.

"RHINNE, STOP!" Ariel commanded. Instantly Rhinne froze in place looking down to see a dozen small chains at the man's feet, all pointed at her. Looking over his shoulder, his stare made Rhinne's face drain of color, unable to run, unable to breathe.

"Were you honestly going to break your promise to me?" Dane asked placidly as he turned back to Ariel. Rhinne looked to Ariel with questions burning in her eyes.

"You would use her for such a deed?" Ariel asked in return, making him smirk as he eased his grip on Ariel's wrist.

"You and I both know what our contract says. Weren't you the one that said this would be the best course of action?" he asked brushing her long, battle tangled red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Ariel tried to pull away but he mirrored her perfectly, his pressing, soul chilling presence making it hard to move.

"Mother? What does he mean? What deal did you make?" Rhinne asked, fear settling into her heart when the sounds of battle raging within the temple began to draw her attention. A strong explosion shook the floor, making Rhinne run to the balcony that over looked it. The sight horrified her, seeing Knights of black battling with the Knights of the Temple. Metal and blood stained the marble floor of the temple, the empty shells of the Knights and corpses of the Monks scattered everywhere.

"You promised that her power would never be used for personal gain." Ariel seethed, looking him in his eyes under his cloak that stood out like torches against his pale skin.

"I never made such a promise: if you recall, the contract which we both drew up states that his or her power would be used to better the world we live in when she came of age." Sloe said, flipping his hand down as a scroll unraveled to a paragraph revealing to Ariel exactly the phrase he so heinously remembered.

"Why… Why would you want to destroy it all? There is such beauty here." Ariel cried as he reached up to cup her jaw, stopped by Ariel grabbing his wrist.

"This world has become too corrupt to save as it is. All must be wiped clean to start again." He said, tilting his head to the side, almost as if he too were sad that it had to be done.

"But why her? Do you know what such an act will turn her into? Her heart will be lost to the Darkness if you do this." Ariel begged, looking away until he gently reached up to the hair on the side of her head gripping it so hard so quickly that it made her yelp as he turned her head to face him.

"It will create in her the power she was always meant to have: The End. Now let our daughter come with me to fulfill what she was always meant to be." Sloe hissed, obviously holding back a great deal as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"I will never hand her over to you Dane!" Ariel swallowed, glaring at him from over her cheeks making him chuckle.

"You said it so well before, my love. Dane is _dead_ ; all that remains is Magus Sloe. Now, let her know her father and her destiny." Sloe hissed, slowly easing his grip on Ariel's hair, following her as she walked to Rhinne who stood in a horrified trance on the balcony. Pulling her eyes from the battle below, Ariel brushed a few locks of her silvery hair back.

"Mother? Why are the Knights fighting?" She had never seen the terror of war, and certainly not when that war included the Knights of the Temple. She was not new to the sight of death as she remembered watching helplessly when Will was killed. But she never imagined how war could make death so much worse.

"They fight for you, my child." Ariel answered mournfully, trying to hold back her tears and keep a pleasant face.

"Why?"

"Because you are important. He will keep you safe." Ariel answered, looking back to Sloe.

"You would give me to the man that killed Will?" Rhinne asked, recognizing his features as Dane her father despite the deep shadows cast by his cloak.

"How can you trust him? He's the one that killed Will! He;s the one that blew up his own Order!" Ariel sighed a ragged breath spying a sand glass on a table behind Rhinne. With understanding tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Rhinne and held her for a long while. Sloe stared down at them over his nose, holding out his hand waiting for Rhinne to take it. He was so close, so very close to his goal.

"You are bound for great things, far greater than I could even imagine. He may not be the one I expected, but he is the one the world needs, and for that, he needs you." She whispered.

"Mother I don't understand…"

I know my child, I know. I'm going to miss you." Ariel cried, hugging Rhinne tightly. Sloe felt a rise in power surge through the air. Following its path, he watched the Sand Glass rise from the table and shoot over to Ariel's outstretched hand.

"Ariel! NO!" He ran forward to stop her. Ariel teleported away in a flash of light. Sloe stumbled a bit as he caught his footing after they had gone.

"You choose to run when you should stay. Your violation of our contract will not go unpunished!" he hissed, closing his eyes too feel where they had gone while whispers hung thick in the air around him.

* * *

Light burst in the air as Ariel and Rhinne appeared in a room deep within the temple, even deeper than the inner most chambers. Rhinne fell to the ground as the teleportation spell's distance was greater than she was used to making her dizzy. Grabbing Rhinne's hand, Ariel picked her back up and lead her to the center of the room resembling a great coliseum.

"Wha-what are you doing?! You said that I was going to be safe with him." she asked as Ariel worked quickly, casting a strong spell over the sand glass she had grabbed a moment before.

"I'm sorry Rhinne. That man is the one trying to take you to use your power." Ariel answered, finalizing the spell and turning to Rhinne with tears staining her eyes.

"That was my Father! Why would he want to use my power?"

"What you saw was not your father. That is a great evil masquerading as a man." Ariel answered.

"I don't understand. Why is all of this happening? Why couldn't I just have had a normal life with Will?" tears began to sting her eyes as Ariel pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm afraid I used you too." Rhinne pulled from Ariel's embrace, backing away from her with shock in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Am I nothing but a chess piece to you?!" Bowing her head, Ariel turned the sand glass over and over in her hands thinking back to many years before Rhinne was born.

"Many years ago, Dane… no, Magus Sloe and I created a contract between a Deity and a human. In it, it stated that our child would be the one to vanquish Darkness from the world. I encouraged such a contract when I saw the world edging closer to a great disaster with no way of avoiding it in the Mirror of Time. You were the answer to that disaster; to steer the world towards peace. I never imagined that it would lead us here." Rhinne clenched her fists tighter with each word Ariel spoke, tears stinging her face and her jaw sore from clenching.

"I am nothing to you! To either of you! I'm just a means to an end! No wonder both of you are always so distant from me!" Her tear riddled voice quivered, steadily becoming a shout as her power raged, shaking the temple around her as shadows began to gather around her.

"Rhinne, I know this is not the kind of life you wanted, and I am sorry for it. If there was something I could do I would. But please hear me when I say you are not just a means to an end. You are my daughter, my future successor, and my greatest treasure of all time. I know I haven't shown that to you, but I need you to know." Slowly Rhinne calmed, releasing her hands and slumping to the ground, weeping hard on her knees. Ariel went to her, putting her arms around her for a bit looking down at the sand glass in her hand.

"You are a great treasure of mine, and I'm going to make sure that you stay safe, as will everyone in Usoria. Please, forgive me Rhinne." Ariel cried, shoving the Sand Glass onto Rhinne's chest instantly making her feel sleepy. She lifted into the air clutching the sand glass as though it were an infant. When Ariel was sure that the spell had taken effect, she knelt to the ground and used every last ounce of mana she had, erecting a nigh impenetrable barrier around her. Lights shot through the barrier into Rhinne from the ground far below. With one final chant, Ariel finalized the barrier and was tossed aside with a sweep of Sloe's hand as he appeared behind her.

"What have you done to her?" Sloe asked with a torrid tone, just as the last few lights slipped through the barrier into Rhinne. Sloe summoned up a wall of chains to bring down the barrier only to be dismayed when the barrier scorched the flesh on his hand as the chains were shattered instead.

"I've placed her in a state of eternal slumber." Ariel grunted, reaching back for her leg which was lay at an unnatural angle. Sloe smirked, clenching his hand as his wound healed instantly.

"Then I will simply _take_ her power after making it so easy." Sloe answered, holding up his hand as Black Magic swirled unto existence and began to penetrate the barrier only to be thrown out.

"You've done your work well Ariel my love." Sloe smiled, turning back as chains rose from behind him.

"You will _never_ succeed. So long as she remains asleep, the entirety of her power is being used to create a world for all of Usoria to exist in. Everyone of Usoria will remain safe and you will never be able to use her power to destroy everything as you want until I defeat you." Ariel hissed through clenched teeth. Sloe only smiled, turning back to the sleeping Rhinne and chuckling to himself.

"You do realize that this is nothing more than a minor delay Ariel: your efforts will not save our daughter from what destiny has chosen her for. If I can't wake her from her slumber here, then perhaps all that needs be done is destroy the world created in her dream." Sloe smiled. Ariel tried to summon the strength to cast another spell, tapping into her infinite life force for power. Light hardened into spears around her, whining as they gathered power.

"Careful my love. If you hurl those at me, you just might hit Rhinne. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Sloe asked, holding up his hand to the barrier once more as black power gently flared around him and up his arm. Ariel began concentrating on a single spear that howled towards him. Holding his other hand out, Sloe caught the incoming spear and crushed it within his hand. Ariel swung her hand as another spear hurled towards him only to obliterated in a plume of black violet fire, engulfing Ariel and tossing her back against a column.

Once he was sure that Ariel would at least be tamed for the moment, he turned his attention back to Rhinne, pushing power slowly through the barrier surrounding Rhinne as she slept. Just as the cloud touched her, Sloe felt his mind leave his body delving through what felt like time itself. As he rushed over what appeared to be a river, that presence again reared its head.

"Time is malleable here. Please, allow me just this one thing." Sloe growled, halting his charge and allowing Dane to come to the forefront, at least what remained of the weak fool.

"Make it quick, we don't have time to dawdle." Dane nodded, holding up his hand and swiping through what appeared to be pictures. He searched through almost fifty years until he came across what appeared to be a crowded transport. With a step, he entered the picture and recognized two of the people there. One of them was a well-dressed man with his arm around a baby, and the other a woman leaning against the window fast asleep.

"What are you doing? Hurry it up." Sloe demanded. Dane stepped to the woman, holding two fingers to her forehead. A spark of light shone for a moment sending images of what was to come into her dream. The then stepped behind the woman, leaning down to her ear and whispering:

"This is but the beginning…" before he finished speaking, Sloe pulled him back to the stream, and they continued down their path of the river.

"What was that all about?"

" _You didn't let me finish, but it is nothing but a warning to two deserving people._ " Dane smiled. Sloe growled, reaching into his chest and pulling out a small spark of light.

"I can't have you interfering any longer, Dane. _This_ is where you truly die!" he hissed, clenching his hand until the light shattered. Looking ahead, Sloe could see tornados of water over a vast sea before a bright light.

"That must be the world Rhinne is creating. All that remains now is to destroy it, and finally wake her to claim what is owed me. Nothing will remain: _NOTHING!"_


	24. ST - Chapter 23: Awakening

Chapter 23: Awakening

All was dark save for her. Opening her eyes, she looked all around at the vast darkness that surrounded her. There was no ground, no air, no sea: only a vast emptiness broken only by the light shining from her body. Whispers passed her ear drawing her attention in many directions. Everywhere she turned only revealed more emptiness.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called. Silence was her only answer. Time felt as if it had no meaning, no direction. And with nothing surrounding her, how was it that she even existed?

" _Where did I come from? Have I always been here?_ " she thought, extending her hand into the nothingness feeling her body move in that direction.

" _Who am I?_ " she wondered, looking down at herself seeing that she was naked.

"Where are my clothes!" she shouted, realizing that she felt chilly. She imagined a full dress around herself slung over her shoulder that flowed from her hips. Within moments, the dress appeared, wrapping lovingly around her body. She then imagined daintily strapped sandals for her feet and a gold crown on her head which also appeared in their respective places.

" _Who am I that I can do this? And can I do more?_ " she wondered, looking to her feet.

" _What is my name? Do I even have a name?_ " As she pondered, images of a world she was sure she had never seen came to mind; forests and plains, Cities and countryside.

" _Why would I imagine something like this? Have I ever seen these things? These images though feel more like, memories. Or are they merely things that I wish to… no, these feel like imaginations of… others? But I am the only one here._ " Looking around once again, she confirmed that she was indeed the only one there. Though it felt as if hundreds of presences and minds spun around or within her. It was frightening and strangely comforting: so many minds existed beside and within hers. Perhaps these minds would need somewhere to live, and what better place to have them live than one of the many images that she had seen.

Once again, she looked down her feet, extending her leg and stretching her toes down when she felt something solid below her. As she flattened her foot to the ground, soil and grass began to appear around her spreading from her foot. Hills began to form, ponds and marshes appeared as more and more of the ground formed around her. After a few moments, vast plains edged by majestic mountains appeared surrounded by a regal blue sea crashing upon the shores. As she wandered around her new creation, she came to a great desert to the west. Rock formations stood tall everywhere. Some even forming canyons with a rainbow of differing sedimentary colors.

To the north the mountains reached high into the air pointing out the empty blackness still surrounding this entire world. She thought for a while, imagining an immense blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. As she stared and thought, the air around her exploded into color, punching back the emptiness in a great swell of blue and white. The magnificence however quickly faded from view into darkness once again, cooling all the colors of the world to dim shadows of their former brilliance.

"No no no! They need to be bright! This world can't be like this! No one will be able to see!" she called. She tried to imagine the world as a brighter place, but nothing she did seemed to help. As she tried imagining different things, a small spark of light formed in the darkness, darting here and there over the plains and flowers that had been brought into existence. As it darted, it came across the girl as she stood with slumped shoulders in the darkness. Shielding her eyes against the light as she turned to it, she almost felt drawn to its presence.

"Well, that's what I need but I don't know what to make that would create it." She said muttering to herself when the Light began to grow and took on the form of a person.

"Well, hello new goddess. What is your name?" the person asked, the light calming enough that she could clearly see his warm smile and comforting features.

"I-I don't know. I only knew that I existed and by imagining things started appearing. But I created a sky and now everything is dark." The man smiled and nodded.

"Ah yes. Creating a sky does leave a world dark. This world you are creating is a brand new one, and as of yet has not been seen by the master Light Spirit. That is, until now. I have been assigned to be _this_ world's Light Spirit and Conduit. As such I will help you light this new world of yours." With a wave of his hand, the sky was set ablaze where a sun began to form over the horizon. Reds, golds and even some greens shone as the great yellow mass slowly ascended in the sky. When the sun had risen fully above the horizon, she turned to begin making something else when she came face to face with a large blue lion. The sight of him made her jump back, falling to the ground.

"Ah, Nexus. I was beginning to wonder when you would show yourself here. I honestly believed that you would have beaten me here, seeing as she is the goddess of this world." The Light Spirit smiled. Nexus turned his black and red eyes to him, nodding slowly making his cream-colored mane wave with the motion and adjusting his leathery wings when the hair tickled them.

"Finding this world was somewhat difficult Neirin. But now that I am here…" Nexus answered, holding up his paw as an ethereal cloud seeped from it, seeming to look around before gravitating towards her swirling around her almost like a pet.

"What is this?" she asked, holding out her hand allowing the form to rest in her palm.

"That is Khaled, the Time Spirit and Conduit for this world. It can become any form you can think of." She looked to the presence, almost able to see a face as it looked to her with expectant and eager eyes. As if from a faraway memory, the image of a sprawling temple in the clouds came to mind. The presence sensed her forming thought as some of its form reached to her, surrounding her head before taking off into the sky. Brick by brick the grand building she had imagined began to form, spreading out until its enormous form sat high above the ground surrounded by ribbons of light.

Nexus placed a paw upon her shoulder, instantly transporting them within the building. Miles upon miles of arches held up by round columns lined the halls. Fountains of sand stood throughout the building while a steady rhythm quietly clicked throughout. On the walls appeared to be gears and mechanisms that made up clocks. As they toured it, creatures began appearing: many of they were sentient sand timers with small wings on the top and a single eye on the top of the sand. Humanoid creatures dressed in brilliant green, blue and red robes roamed the halls accompanied by other creatures made of breastplate armor. Green, Blue or Red flames resembling fabric quietly thundered from the plume of their helms and torso hole as she moved.

"What is all this? I don't know what any of it is, yet it all feels so… familiar somehow. Who am I? or rather, who _was_ I?" Nexus took a breath and nodded, his long tail whipping through the air as the horns atop his head glowed.

"You mean that you don't remember?" Nexus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Remember what? Is there something I am supposed to remember about who I am?" She asked, her voice becoming desperate. Nexus tilted his head slightly and stared at her long and hard. She almost felt as if she had done something wrong as he remained motionless in his stare.

"It would appear she didn't intend for this to happen. You've forgotten all of it." Nexus answered cryptically. She kept waiting for some kind of answer but this great blue lion wasn't giving her anything except more questions.

"Nexus, please. Who am I? Have I done or forgotten something important? Please tell me, I need to know!" she begged. Nexus nodded, rubbing the top of her head with his massive paw.

"Apologies goddess. I meant no harm. You are Rhinne, goddess of this world. If you ever require my help with time, do not hesitate to call me. I am Nexus, the master of All Time."

"Rhinne, that's a pretty name. I like it. But what is it that I have forgotten? Is it something important?"

"No chi… pardon, goddess. It is not important. In time you will find who you are. But for now, you have a world to name and populate. What shall you call this world of yours?" Nexus asked, guiding her to the railing where she could overlook the entirety of the world below her. From her vantage point, the world seemed so small when at ground level it had seemed so expansive.

"I feel as if this world is so old, yet it has only just begun, is that strange?" Rhinne asked to which Nexus smiled and shook his head. Minutes passed as Rhinne thought about what she would name this new world of hers. It would have to be something stout sounding. Something that sounded as if the world had been there for a very long time despite its young age.

"Old…old fern, no. Ol'springs, no too lazy. Old horizon? No, no, no... it has to be well established but still new. Sap… yes sap, short for sapling. Hmm…" minutes passed by as she contemplated the name and the spelling of her new world, taking a handful of sand and spreading it on the dirt to write it out. Eventually she settled on a name complete with its spelling.

"Nexus, I have a name for this world: Olde Sapp." Nexus was joined by the Light Spirit Neirin and was told the name of the world.

"Now, remember once you have named the world this, you can never undo it. Doing so would require you to destroy the world and start anew."

"Yes Neirin, I am certain. I would like to name this world Olde Sapp." The moment she finished speaking, thunder cracked across the skies as a bright golden light sprang up, shrinking quickly to the center of the island-like land mass below until it all merged at the center. The same golden light shot skyward parting the clouds above.

"What was that?" Neirin smiled as he looked to Rhinne.

"That was the birth of the very root of the world, the one thing that will allow all life to exist here in Olde Sapp: The World Tree. It has a direct connection to the Life Stream and will grow based on how many people live here in this dimension. Every dimension has one and it takes on the form of a different tree in each." He explained, placing a hand on her shoulder teleporting to the small maple sapling.

"So, how do I make this grow?"

"By having people inhabit this world. It grows in reaction to the amount of people living here." Rhinne considered his words for a short while. Perhaps the presences in her mind were people waiting to be born, to be given form. Jitters ran through her body as she thought of how these people should look, what it would take to make them or at least give them a way to exist.

" _Perhaps I can use pieces of the world to make them a body._ " Looking to her own body, she felt along her arms, legs, chest and back, feeling the hard bones within her skin. Was that what kept her upright? If so, what would she use to make them? While the bones needed to be strong she wanted to make it mean something, something that would show these people just how valuable they were to her and to each other. As she thought, her eye caught a glimpse of a yellow-ish metal laying on the ground.

" _That's it!_ " her mind shouted with glee, turning away from the small sapling and holding her pamls out as gold seeped from the dirt, forming into the bones that Rhinne had felt in her own body. But they were all the same height and size. If they were left like that, there would be so many boring people. With waves of her arms and intricate movements of her fingers, some of the skeletons became taller and larger while other became shorter and smaller. With the basics made, she thought of what she should put within the heads: something that could absorb information and help them learn. There was nothing that she could find or think of that would meet her wants, so she set about creating it.

When she first started, it was almost as large as one of the rooms within Khaled. Days passed as she worked, putting in place hundreds of millions of threads made of gold connected to small nodes made of diamonds. The round shape of her creation was split into two halves: One half was rather plain made up of symmetrical cubic shapes, while the other was freer formed. The threads meandered through the space connecting to the nodes in random places.

"And what is the purpose of having two haves like this Rhinne? Wouldn't be more prudent to have the entire thing made one way or the other?" Nexus asked, having watched her as she worked from the very first day.

"I don't think so. This boring side is supposed to help them in making choices, such as if something is better or not. This freer side is more to allow them to be happy, create things and even imagine." Nexus nodded his understanding when Rhinne spread her hands out, closing them together as the giant apparatus shrank until it fit within the palms of her hands. The wires and diamonds became so tiny and dense, they almost appeared solid. Going to the golden skeletons, she opened the head and placed the apparatus inside, snapping her fingers as dozens more filled the head of each skeleton.

" _Now they will need something to help this skeleton move._ " Rhinne once again felt her arms and legs, carefully noting the way her own muscles moved, swelled and changed with each movement she made yet remained firm. Wandering away from the skeletons, she searched for something that would be similar to the properties that she had felt in her own body. She found it on the edge of a marsh: clay. Waving her hand over it, she pulled a mass of it from the ground taking it back to the skeletons where she applied it over the bones. Time passed her by slowly as she painstakingly fashioned each muscle after what she felt in her own body, applying the final form to the rest with a snap.

Finally, came the skin. There would need to be a stout difference between the men and the women she could feel in her mind. But a difference that would be appealing to both of them. The women would need something soft, pleasing to the touch. The men too would have something favorable, but not quite as soft. Surveying the whole world, there was nothing she could see that would serve her desires. Something in the back of her mind felt like it was trying to surface: it was a creature that walked on all fours, ate grass and had a soft, fluffy puffs of hair all over its body. Waving her hand over the ground, the creature began to form from the grass, all of it melding into one as the creature came to life.

This creature's hair she called a Birk, would be the one to serve as the skin of the men. Still the women would need something different, something softer. Another creature began to stir in her mind. One that walked on two legs, had a long slender neck and wings. Its whole body was covered in slender flat sticks. No not sticks, feathers. Again, the creature formed from the ground and grass around her until it all merged and became a creature she called a goose. She would use the under feathers from these creatures called 'Down' to make the skin of the women as it was much softer than the hair of the Birk.

The images that she had thought of however felt more like long suppressed memories, things that she had seen before. More and more of these creatures came to mind as she created them faster and faster. Birds, cattle, fish, whales, monkeys, all kinds of creatures that roamed the sea, land and air of Olde Sapp. After the whirl of creation, she gathered some of the Birk's hair called wool and the down feathers and applied them to her skeletons A snap of her fingers covered half the skeletons with wool, and the other half with down.

She had been so busy in creating the bodies for the people, that she hardly noticed that the World Tree was growing little by little. When she did finally focus her attention on it, she surprised to see a small tree only large enough to have sprouted a few dozen leaves.

" _If the World Tree is a Direct line to the Life Stream, perhaps parts of it can give these bodies life and provide a place for these presences to go._ " She had created a number of bodies, more in fact than she had leaves. But she had a feeling that with each person brought to true life the tree would grow and provide more. Sure enough, with each leaf she touched to the chest of a person, a presence would leave her and the tree would grow. Each of the bodies she had created combined all the elements until a full human had been created.

Within moments, all the presences she had within her were now living beings. Rhinne then taught them to speak, to read and write, to weave cloth and farm, to care for the world around them. Decades passed by and the people began to travel the world she had created. Some of the people would seek out knowledge, learning how the world worked around them to harness its power for their own: Wood, Stone, water and fire. Some of the people sought out Rhinne and asked that they be taught or given the ability to manipulate these things at will, and she granted them.

Once the world had become populated with a number of people, The Light Spirit and Nexus each convened with Rhinne, telling her of the need and purpose of Transcendents: a person within the world chosen by Light, Life and Time.

"These people will ultimately become a steward and defender of the world within the bounds of the aspect of reality that has chosen them. Their power will come from the Conduits of the world." Neirin explained as the three of them were seated within Khaled, of which Rhinne considered to be her home.

"And what are these conduits?" Rhinne asked, intrigued.

"The conduits are manifestations through which the chosen transcendent draws power from for their aspect of reality. For Light, it will be myself as the sun, moon and stars. For life, it is the World Tree, and for Time, it is this very temple." Rhinne turned her eyes all around her in wondering contemplation

"I see, then I am to choose someone to represent the power of time?" asked Rhinne, already thinking through the hundreds of people having been born in the world. Nexus shook his head and placed a large paw on her hand.

"No goddess, Khaled has already made that choice."

"Then why come to me with this knowledge if such people are needing to be chosen? Shouldn't such a choice be made as quickly as possible?" she asked, looking to both of them for answers when Neirin explained.

"We are but parts that make up the world as a whole. This world is _yours_ first and foremost, and we wanted to make you aware of the need for them. Every world needs them, and this world is no different. But we did not want to simply begin making changes to a world that does not belong to us without your permission."

"I see. Then by all means, make your selections." She was pleasantly surprised when Nexus informed her that she would be the Transcendent of Time. Neirin chose a small girl no older than ten to be the Transcendent of Light. The Transcendent of Life was chosen as a man with many years behind him as a grandfather. With the aspects of reality now having chosen protectors for the world, Rhinne turned her attention to the people of the world and their ever-expanding wanderings.

Those whom had traveled abroad asked for her guidance as they faced new and sometimes dangerous creatures. When she heard of this, she was shocked to learn that the very world she had created was beginning to spawn nightmarish creatures. Stone and trees came alive seeking out those that wondered too far from safety, more appearing and becoming ever stronger with time. After nine generations, the people learned to forge, smelting metal from rock to create weapons and armor for fighting off these creatures. But even they were not enough to protect them fully.

Those that called themselves warriors begged for the strength and ability to better protect the people. To a few Rhinne granted tremendous powers whom in turn taught the people how to harness and use the power they were granted. And still the creatures became more and more powerful. Animals began to turn into ravenous monsters, while the people began to slowly turn on one another.

And then she felt it; something in the air. No, something in the world. It felt like a bad dream, a nightmare trying to swallow her whole. It was this something that was corrupting her creation. She tried to stop it, tried destroying it, even tried to find where it had come from or where it had settled, all in vain. Desperately she began granting the people of the world more and better powers to help defend against this invisible force and the creatures it spawned. But still it persisted, growing in strength with each passing year.

She convened with the Transcendent of Life, Ward Crimsonheart, to ask if there was a way to fight off this invisible, intangible foe twisting the world. Rhinne, Ward and the Transcendent of Light Louisa all agreed that something would need to be done or it would twist and corrupt the world from the inside out. The three of them journeyed across the world finding the very edges of the presence. They all tried to battle it back with little to no success, finding their powers would be destroyed.

"If we can't fight it back, what else are we supposed to do?" Louisa asked.

"There is only one this we could try, but it will require all of us."

"What did you have in mind young lady?" Ward asked, his wise eyes watching the edge of this presence and how it almost seemed to be growing.

"We have to contain it." Louisa and Ward both looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Do you even know how to do that?" Louisa shouted.

"With all of us together, I'm sure that we can contain it in a form that is more manageable. It may take some time, but we would need to start from the edges and pull it all together." Ward pointed back to the World Tree which had since grown enough that its topmost branches began to gather clouds around them.

"If we use the World Tree as the center and start at Noon when Louisa's power is at their strongest, we will be able to do so."

"Yeah, but the problem is the noon sun only lasts for a few minutes."

"Leave that to me Louisa." Nodding to each other the three of them spread to the far reaches of the world and the edges of this malicious presence. Just as the sun reached its highest point, Rhinne threw her hand forward. A wave spread from her palm coloring the world slightly grey as time slowed to a near standstill save for Ward and Louisa. Threads of lightning and quakes within the air rumbled as the three of them fought with all their might to force this presence to bend to their will.

As they neared one another, small crystals began to form and the struggle became ever harder as it wanted to spread from its containment. At times, their power would simply disintegrate allowing the presence through their containment reversing progress. Monumental effort used by all three of them eventually compressed the presence into a single place creating a massive crystal. What power that remained within them was used in ensuring this presence would never again spread through the world, locking it into the crystal form it had taken. With their power exhausted, Rhinne's time slowing ability collapsed and time once again resumed.

"What has happened here? Time has been…" Melting into existence, Nexus began to demand an explanation but stopped when he saw all three transcendents lying utterly exhausted on the ground around a giant blue-white crystal. He couldn't let them fade away in such a state after whatever it was they had been through. Holding his paw between them, the sound of clocks clinking rung out as he restored their energy and healed over the small wounds littering their skin. As he worked, Nexus felt his attention drawn to the crystal as if it were calling to him. He ignored it but the persistent beckoning of the crystal kept his attention divided until Nexus breathed a sigh and focused all his attention on the task at hand. Once the three of them had been taken care of he once again began to demand an explanation.

"I sensed something was wrong in the world and tried to contact you, but I could not. Now that I am finally able to contact you, I find you exhausted and created this crystal. What have you been doing? I haven't been able to contact you for almost 2,000 years!" All three of them looked to one another with wide eyes and stupefied staggers.

"I didn't realize so much time had gone by." Rhinne breathed, staggering to a root of the World Tree and sitting down just as the strength left her knees followed by Ward and Louisa.

"There was a presence that has been corrupting the world. The people of Olde Sapp have been trying to fight off its effects in the form of monstrous creatures made from the world and its animals. I finally enlisted the help of Ward and Louisa to fight it off but even that was failing." Nexus looked to the crystal, feeling the same beckoning as before when his eyes fully looked at it.

"And this crystal? What is it?" he asked with an edge in his voice, doing all he could to rend his gaze away from the crystal.

"This is the presence that had been corrupting the world. We found its edges and drove it all into one place, and in doing so created this." Rhinne explained as she held her hand towards the crystal.

"Now that you have it all in one place, can it be destroyed?" Asked Nexus, feeling his eyes being drawn back to the crystal until Ward stood between him and it. Within his chest, Nexus felt a burning hate swell within him. Rhinne held up her hand as a mirror appeared before her it. Images of destruction followed by the nothingness scrolled across it, the same nothingness Rhinne had first encountered upon awakening.

"No, unfortunately. Doing so would only release it in a catastrophic explosion. It could possibly destroy the world and rip time itself apart." Nexus' hate continued to rise until Louisa put a hand to his shoulder and shook him gently, waking him from his angered trance.

"Nexus, are you alright?" As his senses came back to him Nexus stepped away from the crystal, turning so that he would no longer face it.

"That crystal is powerful. My very looking at it draws me to it with an almost fanatical urgency. I am afraid that if I were to touch it, I would not be able to resist its will."

"Then we must rid this world of it presence." Ward suggested, looking back to it but not feeling the same beckoning that Nexus spoke of.

"We can't so that Ward. That would only make another world have to deal with the problem." Louisa said in response.

"Then what are we to do with it? If it stays here, the very thing that Nexus explained will happen to someone else." Rhinne stood and walked between them.

"Not if we three were to choose a person and give them the power to overcome its temptation. They could in turn tech others how to resist and be guardians of this crystal for all time."

"And why can't one of us take it and guard it? We are supposed to be the defenders of this world, aren't we?" the demanding tone of Louisa made them all stop and ponder the question until Nexus answered for them.

"That would still be a problem. You are only able to resist it because of your proximity to one another. If I were to have the Master Light Spirit and the Master Life Guardian here with me, _I_ would be able to resist without incident."

"But if we're only able to resist it because we are all here, how is a single human supposed to be able to resist it?" Louisa shouted until Ward calmed her, bringing out a sheet of paper and drawing a shape on it with a clump of rich soil.

"We shall give them a mark drawn by all of us to help them resist it. This mark will then be the sign passed down to the future generations of guardians." Rhinne and Louisa looked to the shape he had drawn of a simple 'v' when Rhinne took the clump of earth and drew two small wings pointing down. Louisa then added to it by drawing two more wings pointed up on the ends of the downward wings. When Nexus felt they had found their answer he quietly left through a portal back to his home dimension.

"It is set then. This will be the sign those we shall call the Grandmasters." The three of them nodded in agreement to their accomplishment until Rhinne spoke up.

"Who will be the first of the warriors to guard this crystal?" looking up and winking, Ward thought hard while rubbing his chin until he shook his finger and raised his brow.

"Before I was called as a Transcendent, I was head of my family, The Crimsonhearts. Over the years we made ourselves a keep in the state of Versal to keep the west safe from attacking creatures. One of my Granddaughters would be an excellent candidate as the first Grandmaster. Crimsonwood Keep is well build and fortified to keep those who would use this crystal for ill intent far away."

"And what is the name of your Granddaughter?" asked Rhinne as they began transporting the crystal to said keep.

"Lukania. She is a fine spearman and strong willed. There was even a time when…" Rhinne and Louisa smiled as they listened to tales of the girl they were to meet and choose for the important task. It wasn't a perfect solution, but the world would remain safe for some time as long as the crystal wouldn't be used for ill.


	25. ST - Chapter 24: New

Chapter 24: New

Seven millennia passed in Olde Sapp within what seemed to Rhinne as a blink of an eye. In that time, Rhinne chose a human to be attendant within the Temple of Time by the name of Serpo Arkum. His mortality would be stretched out to a near limitless amount as a gift from Rhinne. He was charged with the duty of maintaining the temple and overseeing the creatures that roamed the halls. He also became a close advisor to Rhinne she affectionately nicknamed Grandpa.

Unlike her, Ward and Louisa were eventually overtaken by old age and passed on, their duty of Transcendent being passed on to another within the world. They too would become old and die, the cycle repeating every eighty to one-hundred years. The giant crystal that she, Ward and Louisa had created was dubbed the Antellion by the second Grand Master. He named it so for its strange ability to draw people in who became unable to pull away from it much the same way an Antlion's pit would drag its prey towards it.

The enormous island-like land mass of Olde Sapp eventually divided into Nine countries with a tenth made up entirely of a massive city surrounding the now gargantuan world tree. This city was also named Olde Sapp. Here a massive boom in technology advances took root. After seven thousand years of simple farm living and exploration to find more and better ways to survive, the brilliant minds of the time brought a new age upon everyone.

New and better metals besides pure iron were created allowing for the discovery of steam power, magnetism, electricity and nuclear fission. Rhinne would visit the city often to see what new thing had been created. She would often disguise herself as a lowly miller's daughter come to see the wonders of the city. But she would soon be found out, mostly by inquisitive children, then escorted through the city by a throng of children and a few adults as well. As the technology became more abundant, the city would grow, expanding every year it seemed.

Despite the rapid growth of technology for the people, there was still the looming shadow of the Antellion within the Crisonwood Keep in what was now the country of Versal to the west. Some of the technology created in Olde Sapp was brought to bear against the walls of the Keep. Guns, explosive and cannons would all roar to break open the gates only to be pushed back by the forces of the Crimsonheart family. The next two thousand five hundred years would witness hundreds of battles fought at the gates of the Keep. During the last hundred years of that time became theater to wars. The countries of Krakia to the north, followed by Tynerum, Commercci and Arboren formed armies in an attempt to seize the power of the Antellion by force.

Versal alone would not have been able to withstand the attacks, even with the extensively trained assistance of the Crimsonwood forces. But thanks to the southern countries of South Perry and Amherst, Versal remained steadfast. Each of these wars would be known only by their numbers, as the first, second, third and fourth wars of Olde Sapp. It was during the Fourth War that the most diligent and powerful of the Crimsonheart Family would take stewardship of the Keep, Andrew. He and his wife Glona, both fought in the Fourth War. But when it was over, the both of them saw the overwhelming about of children that had been orphaned as a result. The wars left the north eastern counties in a poor state as most if not all their resources were spent in trying to obtain the Antellion.

Through hard work and even through undercover operations into enemy countries, the majority of the Orphans were brought into Versal where they were given homes and citizenship. A few children the Crimsonhearts took in themselves under the condition that they would help in defending the Antellion. Some rejected the prospect, but there were a few that did accept and become Grandmasters themselves. Among the children adopted by the Crimsonhearts were a bright, inquisitive boy named Subani, and a quiet yet protective boy named Narcain.

Rhinne paid closer attention to these two especially, granting Subani and Narcain magical abilities that were more powerful than the brothers and sisters. More powerful even them the most powerful of Mages of the time. Narcain focused his abilities and research in helping the technology of the world advance even further. He became known for introducing the scientists to a strange but powerful energy known as Mana.

Coal for fueling the steam powered engines of the city and the world was becoming harder and harder to find. Once it became clear how to harvest and refine it from the ground, Mana became a steady alternate fuel source. Despite the find however, it soon became apparent that it would not be able to sustain the growing needs of the world as a primary source. It became increasingly expensive to mine and refine. Other forms of power were considered, even nuclear fission which did provide an extreme amount of power for very little. Again, this ultimately proved dangerous as experiments proved that without a constant and stable means to control and insulate it, Nuclear fission would quickly become deadly.

As the search for another fuel source continued, Subani would be the one to lead the way for diplomatic conferences between countries with his abilities and research. The small Country of Elpam was rich in coal deposits. But it was out of reach to most of the world because of their refusal to see themselves as part _of_ the world. Through Subani, Elpam agreed to their coal deposits being mined as their need for food and infrastructure was made apparent. With the help of Versal's Iron and Orhalcon mines, and Amherst's rich farmlands, Elpam finally became stable enough to prosper.

Coal once again flowed to all corners of the world. With its fresh infusion of coal, the allied forces of Krakia and Tynerum marched through the forested lands of Ulu for Versal in the west. The fifth war proved more brutal than the previous two wars, leaving hundreds of dead on the battlefield. Narcain helped battle until the war was brought to an uneasy end by Subani's diplomatic skill. As the conference was dispersing and the Crimsonhearts were leaving for their home in the Keep, Narcain pulled his father Andrew aside.

"Why do we not just gather our forces and bend Krakia and Tynerum into submission? I have read the history of the world and they had been the primary aggressors or have had some hand in attempts to obtain the Antellion." The question made Andrew sigh, looking over his shoulder to the large sword sheathed on it.

"You do have a point, my son. But we are stewards of the great crystal, not crusaders."

"So are we only to sit behind our walls while the rest of the world continues to come after something that it shouldn't have? Why then don't we destroy it?"

"The goddess Rhinne herself stated that doing so would be catastrophic."

"Then why don't we at least use its power to protect Versal, or at the very least the Keep? So much power would be an excellent deterrent."

"That would not be wise brother." Subani interjected, coming back to them when he noticed the two of them were gone from their group heading home.

"And why wouldn't it be, scholarly brother of mine?" asked Narcain in a playfully mocking tone. Subani remained unchanged before explaining his position.

"Before you were brought into the family, I witnessed a band of thieves get close to the crystal only to be obliterated when they touched it. There is too much there to control. The crystal's power has in all actuality been growing steadily ever since its creation, which is why these wars and battles are coming to our country more and more often." Andrew's eyes became wide as he furrowed his brow hard.

"Growing? How?"

"I have been studying that father, and the only findings that I have are superficial at best."

"Don't leave us hanging dear brother. Please, share what you have found so far and perhaps we can come to an answer all the sooner." Narcain prodded, holding his chin with devious interest.

"My finding indicate this crystal is feeding off the thoughts and emotions of everyone within the world, absorbing them and in turn creating more power and further spreading its influence." With slow, casual steps Narcain walked to one of the many high windows within the Olde Sapp conference hall, looking out across the many bronze, brown and beige colored buildings. The steam cars and trams chuffed by with people strolling along the sidewalks in all manor of attire from the wealthy to the working.

"That _is_ interesting. And you're right, this does require further study. If the power of the Antellion has been growing all these many millennia, using its power would be deadly at best and destroying it would only be apocalyptic. There is no other course than to keep guarding it. But how long will that last? If its power is growing, perhaps even the mark of the Transcendents will eventually become useless."

"There is no way to know that for sure Narcain. All we can do for now is do what we've always done: Guard the Antellion." With the matter settled for the given moment, the three of them joined with the rest of the family to return back to the Keep.

In the aftermath of the Fifth War, Olde Sapp seemed to stagnate. Coal was once again running in shorter and shorter supplies as Elpam's coal veins began to dwindle. The demand for the fuel had grown so much that the miners could hardly mine enough in one day to keep up with demand. Council Members from each country gathered to discuss the growing crisis.

Much of the world's engines and machines ran on steam, which was made by burning coal. Other fuels had been looked into for creating steam, and even rudimentary hydro-power had been made. But still the energy needs of the world kept growing. Nuclear fission power was a good alternative, but only when used to stationary buildings to generate electricity or to create steam for stationary steam engines. Mana powered machines were almost thirty times more efficient than steam or fission combined. But the cost of mining and refining said mana so high that despite the inefficiency made steam and fission the better choice.

"There is a crystal kept in Versal that could be the answer." The council member from Amherst offered.

"A crystal? What sort of Crystal?" The Ulu Council member asked. The Council members from the western half of the world remained silent, grumbling even at the mention of said crystal.

"I've only heard rumors and legends, but it is said that the Crimsonheart Family guards this crystal in their Keep. It is supposed to be extremely powerful, so powerful in fact that almost no one can touch it."

"It's what our countries have warred over for centuries." The council member from Commercci growled, motioning to the Krakian, Tynerum and Arboren council members.

"You mean it's real?" Amherst's member asked, standing out of his seat and putting both hands on the table.

"Oh yes, it is _very_ real." Tynerum's member jabbed, throwing a few black and white sketches onto the table making them spread apart.

"Our scouts and spies within Versal have given the first-hand accounts of this crystal, and say they had to opt for divine intervention to leave as they wanted to take the crystal for themselves." Ulu and Elpam's members took up a picture each, looking over the sketches before all of them turned to Versal's member.

"Have you been hoarding this crystal from us? From the world?" South Perry's member demanded, shaking a picture he had taken at as he spoke.

"No, he hasn't." a woman's voice declared, drawing all their attention to the door where a woman stood dressed in a white dress and golden crown.

"Goddess, you humble us with your presence." Krakia's member said as they all bowed their heads to her before quietly sitting. Rhinne moved to the head of the table with regal steps and sat down, facing them all with intense eyes.

"As to the crystal you were speaking of, the Antellion is something that should not be used by anyone. Its power is the solidified form of a force that began corrupting all of Olde Sapp near the beginning. The First Transcendent of Light and Life along with myself bound that force into the crystal you now know."

"But its power is said to be immense! Surely using it for mundane tasks such as heat and electricity shouldn't be a problem." Arboren's member interjected, making Rhinne shake her head once again.

"Using any part of that crystal's power for even the smallest task means that its influence would be spread across the world once more. The wars and battles to obtain the crystal for one's self would only magnify."

"Then what if we were to use it to create something else we could use. Coal is running out and any other means for power is just not feasible enough." Ulu's member explained.

"I would still prefer that the Antellion be left alone. Until I have found a way to dispose of the crystal I am asking that it be left alone." The answer Rhinne gave left the majority of the council agitated. She may be their patron goddess, but why did she deny them the one thing they actually needed? Reluctantly they all agreed to leave the Antellion alone, but Rhinne knew that such a thing would never be heeded. And as she thought, no sooner had she left back to the Temple of Time then the members of the Council all agreed to pursue its use.

 _"Human tenacity is only matched by their stubbornness_." Rhinne sighed to herself. If they were going to use it, then it would mean so many more people would be near the crystal and exposed to its harmful influence. At the very least, she knew that such a event would lead to disaster all the sooner. Before the Council arrived to Crimsonwood Keep, she visited Andrew and explained what the council had decided and what may come of it.

"What is it you would have me do goddess? I am but a man born to protect this crystal and the world from its power." He asked with tension in his words.

"It is not a burden I am going to lay on you Crimsonheart. You have done well in protecting this crystal and for that you have my eternal gratitude. But resisting this persistent advance will only make things worse for all." Placing her palms to one another, Rhinne pulled them apart and revealed a sandglass, its sand frozen in place within it.

"Take this sandglass and touch it to the Antellion. It is a barrier that will minimize range of influence it has. There will be hundreds of people that will be near it in the coming future, and the last thing anyone wants is for the Antellion's influence to spread and fall into the hand of the ill willed." Andrew took the sandglass, looking it over and puzzled at the unmoving sand within.

"Is there a reason that you can't touch this to the crystal my goddess?"

"Even a goddess such as I am not immune to the influence of the Antellion. Only when all three of the Transcendents stand together can it be resisted. That mark on your forehead was made by we first Transcendents, and is the only thing keeping you from its influence." Andrew nodded his understanding, re-pledging himself to Rhinne to keep the crystal safe.

* * *

"You come with some interesting propositions Council members, but my sons Narcain and Subani have yet to fully understand the power of the crystal. Would it not be better to wait until we all have a better understanding of it?" Crimsonheart argued, trying to sway the minds of the council from using it altogether.

"The time is coming when the energy reserves of the world will run out, and from what I have read and understand about this crystal, the Antellion's power is nearly limitless." Ulu's member said, the rest agreeing as well.

"Hasn't the goddess herself told you of the dangers that using the crystal in such a manor could be dangerous?" Crimsonheart shot back.

"I have seen what the influence this crystal has on the men of the world. Its power is limited to Versal and the Keep, but using as such could spread it across the world. You are all FOOLS for wanting to use it like this!" thundered Crimsonheart: Rhinne's warning had been about them using the crystal, but he never imagined something like this.

"No no no Master Crimsonheart. We aren't talking about using the power of the crystal exclusively. We mean to use its power to create something else scientists in Olde Sapp have been researching: Artificial Mana." Lowering his brow, Andrew squinted his eyes and remained silent, waiting for an explanation until the Governor of Olde Sapp stepped forward.

"Artificial Mana is every bit as powerful as its real counterpart. But real mana is very expensive to mine and process making it near worthless. Artificial Mana on the other hand is very cheap to make, cheaper even than using coal to make. To make however requires a lot of energy to make. Plans for mana generators are nearing completion, but a viable power source is still needed. The Antellion is that power source." Unnerving quiet surrounded the lot of them as they all waited to hear Andrew's answer. Turning around, Andrew himself looked back to the stainged glass window depicting the crystal thinking back to the sandglass Rhinne gave him to limit its influence. With a sweep of his arm to toss aside his cloak, Andrew locked serious eyes with the council members.

"You must draw up a pact and promise that the power of the Antellion itself will _never_ be used for anything other than the production of this Mana. If not, I and the other Grandmasters will take the crystal back by force."

"Oh no, we won't be taking this crystal away from the Keep at all. In fact, we would build power lines that would run from the crystal here all the way back to the production station in Olde Sapp. _You_ would still oversee its protection."

"Still, draw up the pact and bring it here for all involved to sign. Only then will I allow its use as such." Within a month, the pact had been drawn up and signed. Copies were given to all the council members and to the Crimsonhearts as a reminder of what it was they intended and were limited to. No sooner had the pact been signed then construction began on a housing around the Antellion and power lines running to the city of Olde Sapp. Construction on the artificial mana generator called the Grand Gears began at the same time. It ultimately was in the shape of an enormous clocktower affectionately named Bigger Ben by Rhinne herself.

As a clocktower, it did house an enormous cloak for all the city to see. However, the tower itself was filled with gears, clutches, levers and pistons all connected to giant brass rings surrounding great green stones. After five years, all of the construction was completed. As part of the competition and start up ceremony, Andrew and Glona were given the honor of connecting the Antellion to the Grand Gears. With a throw of a giant switch, the power of the Antellion blazed through the powerlines into Olde Sapp, staring the heavy machinery into motion.

Within hours, the first of the golden colored artificial man was flowing from the machinery into tanks ready for use. Once confirmed the Artificail mana was stable enough, machines, transportation vehicles and factories converted their mechanisms to use this potent new source of fuel. Within another few years, pipelines and transports were built for other countries to import Artificial Mana for their own use.

Narcain and Subani completed their research of the Antellion, finding that it gathered power from the traits of the people throughout the world: Luck, Affability, Inner Strength, Wisdom and Inner Agony. These traits would be absorbed by the crystal through the thoughts of the people in the world. Once the crystal absorbed these traits, they would be balanced and then expelled as the power used in Olde Sapp to generate the Artificial Mana.

"You mean to say that the more people are in the world…"

"… the more powerful the crystal will become father. It is an amazing thing. Terrifying really." Narcain explained as they watched the power be lapped up by the housing within their castle. As the demand for artificial mana began to increase, so did the number of mana generators. More and more of the inner workings and number of generators were added, spreading far and wide underground. Eventually the inner working became so large that the human mechanics responsible for the maintenance of the Grand Gears could no longer keep up. With the help and guidance of Rhinne, the scientists of Olde Sapp created what they called the Mechanized Assitence Chassis Halodron Induction Neuron Intelligent Synthetic Tender: M.A.C.H.I.N.I.S.T.

This artificial intelligence used a large arm-like devise to traverse the immense inner workings. Using its six spider arms along with the mechanical laborers called Steel Spiders, it took over maintenance of the Grand Gears. With the Gears cared for, the scientists began creating new technologies once more, eventually creating inter-dimensional rings. These rings using a combination of magic and science allowed explorers to travel to other worlds, even other dimensions, bringing back with them new and different technologies to integrate into the world.

Despite all of this influx of technology however, Krakia and Tynerum still periodically sent small squadrons to try and break the power conduits leading into Olde Sapp. Together they would then concoct reports of how Versal was breaking the pact by starving the world of the crystal's power. Their claims stated Versal was attempting to make demands of the world for the power of the Antellion.

"This is an outrage against all of Olde Sapp! The Antallion should be move to another country, out of the hands of Versal!" Tynerum's member would shout to the Grand Overture, a court established for regulating the pursuits of Olde Sapp after the creation of the Inter-Dimensional Gates.

"Have you evidence to this effect?" the lead magistrate asked.

"At least nine messages have been sent by Versal explaining that a power failure coming from Antellion would cause temporary shortage of Mana. Each time the message went out, the problem occurred within the gate of the Crimsonwood Keep. Each time, Krakia or Tynerum have been the ones to bring this to the Grand Overture, yet nothing has been done. The Antellion should be move to another country as a sign of good faith that Versal is not using the temporary disruption to gather and store power for an attack upon Olde Sapp."

"Yes, Council member of Tynerum, I remember. I have been the one to hear your constant ' _concerns'_ regarding the location of the Antellion. Your evidences, while numerous, are coincidental at best. Until you can provide the Overture with concrete evidence of this so-called 'hoarding of power', your claims shall be henceforth banned from any hearings."

"But Magistrate! Such a power is…"

"DISMISSED!" the magistrate bellowed, slamming down his hammer signaling the rest of the magistrates to disperse as well.

"We need that crystal if we are to have any hope of making our proposals heard with any amount of seriousness." Krakia's member whispered.

"I know. With the gates now available to us, there are technologies and powers that we as a world have not been able to obtain simply because of the Overture's unwillingness to use force. This world could become a powerful arimes my be strong, but they lack _overwhelming_ power to make sure we get what we need or want. We need that crystal."

"You mean that you would want to go to war a sixth time with Versal? They have been able to push back our forces for hundreds of years, what makes you think that this time will be any different?" The member from Tynerum smiled, passing a note to the member of Krakia and leaving in silence.

Several days later

"How have you been able to keep this secret from the Grand Overture? Don't they send inspectors out every month to ensure we are all at least abiding the pact." The king of Krakia exclaimed, marveling at the massive underground space here thousands of glowing blue tanks of raw mana was stored.

"The pact only state that we are not to use the power directly from the Antillion while it remains in Versal. It says nothing about what we are doing here. We were able to salvage the old Mana Mining equipment when Olde Sapp converted to Artificial Mana and have been running it on a volunteer basis. It keeps costs low enough that it doesn't show up on our spending habits and raise suspicions." The king of Tynerum explained, both of them watching the masses below working on huge battle tanks, mana cannons and flying machines.

"Combined with Krakian forces, we should have enough to overthrow the Crimsonwood Keep and take the Antellion for ourselves."

"Yes, and with it on our side, nothing will be able to stand in our way."

* * *

Five years later

Morning broke through the window waking Andrew to see the picture of his beloved Glona smiling at him on the nightstand. She had died during the Sixth War when Krakian forces had pushed all the way up to the keep in an attempt to take the Antellion by force. Unfortunately, Narcain was witness to her accidental but brutal murder. He had been close with her just as he had been close to Subani and her death triggered him to lose control of his immense powers. Within minutes he had driven back the forces.

After the war was over, Narcain was never the same. He became increasingly insistent that the Antellion would be better used to annihilate the two countries. Time and again it was Subani that was able to hold his anger at bay becoming harder as the years went by. Narcain began developing and learning to control powers that not even Rhinne would grant to the populous. As Narcain's powers grew, so too did the number of bodies with each battle. Andrew bolted upright when a soldier came bursting through the door and the entire castle jolted.

"What was that?!"

"Its Krakia and Tynerum sir! They've come at us with a full squadron of heavy guns. The forward bulwark has already fallen and the secondary bulwark is starting to give way. I think that jolt we felt was a shot from one of their heavy guns." Groaning in frustration, Andrew threw the covers off, running to his armor stand and hastily donning his armor.

"Haven't they had enough of war? What is this the Eighth time?" Andrew shouted as the sound of another mortar howled overhead and slammed in to the roof.

"After the Seventh War you would think so. But I've ever seen them like this. Their attack seems more brute force than tactical." The soldier responded, throwing Andrew's cloak around his shoulders and securing it around his neck.

"Is that so? Well then, let my sons know and meet them at the second bulwark. I shall make may way towards the Antellion.

"Even Narcain sir? You did say that he was banished from fighting after the massacre during the Seventh War." Andrew slowed his movements, closing his eyes with a long slow sigh.

"No, do not alert Narcain." The soldier acknowledged his orders and ran out of the door, ordering the other soldiers that were around the door to follow after him. Andrew stood alone in the silence, picking up a picture just behind that of Glona. It was the last one that Narcain and Glona took together before she was killed. He could still remember the horrid sight of Narcain standing in the midst of pools of blood staining his clothes and mountains of corpses around him. His brutality steadily grew as did his belief that the world needed to be forced into submission ending all war.

Gathering up his sword and slinging it over his back, calling on the soldiers guarding the halls as he made his way towards the Antellion. As he walked his mind wandered back to the words Narcain had bellowed to him at the end of the Seventh War.

" _So many people have died and for what?! Wars are getting more and more frequent. The only way to stop it all is to overpower them all: let me use the Antellion and I will end all the wars, end all the battles. No one will ever loose anyone they love every again!_ " After those words, it became crystal clear to both Subani and Andrew that Narcain would never be persuaded, nor did it seem that he would ever want to heal the wound left behind by the death of his mother.

Upon nearing the Antellion, Andrew was brought to a halt when he saw Narcain standing before the great crystal, a new insignia carved into his forehead glowing with angry pale blue light.

"It took you long enough, _father_." He scoffed.

"Narcain, what are you doing here? I thought I forbade you from ever coming near this accursed crystal."

"What do you _think_ I'm here to do?" he responded with a sneer. The few soldiers that had come with Andrew charged despite his orders to remain. In the blink of an eye the soldiers were obliterated leaving smears of blood running down through the cracks of every stone in the room.

"Narcain, that was not…"

"Not what _father_? Necessary? Kind? _Protective?!_ The Crimsonheart family has been guarding this damned crystal for as long as I have been a part of this family, longer if you count your ancestors. And what has it brought us?! War, death and pain, all because of this crystal! You preach and pontificate about protecting humanity from its power, but yet you do so little to protect your _own_ family!" Andrew lowered his head as his shoulders slumped, the weight of his sword pulling him to the ground all the harder.

"I know the pain you feel. Do you think that I don't miss Glona every day since her death?"

"SHUT UP!" Narcain shrieked, power exploding from his body and reacting with the Antellion, causing a massive surge. Fire flared around the Siphon apparatus and tore down the giant powerlines leaving the castle. Thunder rolled as the fire could be heard running the length of the power lines towards Olde Sapp.

"If you had used its power like you should have all those years ago she would be standing here right now!"

"And if I had used its power I could have done far worse. Tell me how many people have even touched the Antellion without dying or killing those around them. Tell me son, tell me!" Narcain clenched his fists so tightly that his skin creaked.

"None, until now!" he growled, throwing his hand back as power gathered on his palm.

"Son! No!" a blast of light ripped apart the siphon apparatus, breaking the crystal from its cradle. The blast wave threw Andrew to the ground, knocking his sword from his back as it stuck between the cobblestones.

"You are too weak to do what needs doing. The Crimsonheart name is shamed by weakness. I will make it feared for its strength!"

"All this power, and yet you still won't be able to bring your mother back." Andrew grunted, picking himself off the floor and wiping his ears to see blood on his fingers. The ringing in his ears made it hard to stand up straight, but he willed his legs to stay under him. The comment made Narcain stop his rage, standing still with the power of the Antellion raging through his body.

"That may be true, Crimsonheart…" he hissed. Andrew reached for his sword, rushing at Narcain with all his might, tears streaming down his face until Narcain held up his hand. Spears of light formed and stuck through his body, holding him in midair. Narcain waved his hand, bringing the numb body of Andrew close to him to whisper in his ear.

"…but I will ensure that people like you or those of Krakian and Tynerum never exist again. This world requires strength, not words." Throwing his hand aside, Andrew flew into the wall as blood began to pool around him filling the cracks and grout lines of all the bricks. Life remained long enough within Andrew to watch Narcain leave the building with the Antiellion in tow. As life faded from his eyes, Andrew Crimsonheart struggled to breath is last few words.

"I'm… sorry… my son…"

* * *

Rhinne could only watch in horror as the world she had created was decimated by Narican, wiping the entire capital city of Krakia and Tynerum from existence with a sweep of his hand. She would have given anything to intervene, but the thrall of power emanating from the Antellion would have thrown her into an uncontrollable rampage. After a few hours, Narcain's mind was lost as the power within the crystal over powered him. Subani and the rest of Narcain's siblings tried to reason and hold him back, but all of them save for Subani were vaporized in seconds.

Knowing that there was only one course of action left, Rhinne granted power to Subani to overpower his brother, finally getting him away from the Antellion and restraining him within magical bindings. Narcain struggled, writhing in fury after he had been restrained cursing Subani with all he had as all the pain he had been hiding came to bear. His screams varied between blaspheming the name of the Crimsonhearts for not doing what needed to be done and trying to explain that allowing the Antellion to exist would only bring more pain.

Subani could only look to the great crystal, knowing that Narcain was right: allowing the crystal to exist anymore would only bring more pain. But destroying it would mean the end of everything. In either case, the world was doomed: Protect the Antellion and allow the world to tears itself apart in a slow death or destroy the crystal and wipe everything away in one second. Taking a picture of the entire family as children from his pocket, Subani laughed to himself. Memories of what their family had been ran through his mind.

"All this time I've been trying to learn how to bring peace by talking, only to ignore the very war being fought in my own family. Mother, Father, I'm sorry I let you down." Rhinne held her breath as she watched Subani gather every last ounce of power within his body focusing it all within his palms.

"Subani, no, don't. There is a way to fix this!" Rhinne pleaded. From far below, she could hear the voice of the young man focusing his power.

"There is no other way goddess. I'm sorry, and goodbye."

"NOO…" Rhinne threw her hand out, sending down her power to Olde Sapp to protect it from the power of the explosion. Subani released the power into the crystal. A pin prick of light shone far below Rhinne's temple, spreading in a dome as a flash. She covered her eyes as a barrier flared around the Temple while the roar of the explosion shook it. Heat and sound ripped through everything outside the barrier, tearing even time itself apart throwing her against a wall within the temple. Rhinne awoke to find herself sprawled on the floor covered in dust. From a nearby sand fountain having been ripped apart.

Racing to the edge she looked over the railing only to find nothing: and infinite emptiness. She fell to her knees as the sight engulfed her: it was all gone. Serpo came to her holding a small orb of light in his palm.

"It is not all gone, goddess. You did manage to save this." Looking up she saw that within the small orb of light was the city of Olde Sapp, and the country of Versal with the Crimsonwood Keep. Taking the Orb from him, she cradled it to her chest and wept. How could she have let something like that happen to her world? Should she start again and use this small piece left of her world as its seed?

The thought of the world tearing itself apart again kept her frozen from ever doing anything. Arkum did what he could to comfort her, cradling her as she wept. The sight of the world having destroyed itself caused her to fall into a chasm of depression. Nothing Serpo did seemed to help to bring a smile to her face. Thousands upon thousands of years passed them by, time only moving within temple of time itself as it was the only other thing that had survived the explosion. Rhinne felt as if she were dead, only moving enough to breathe.

And then, they came. The echoes of their voices woke her from her catatonic state and coaxed her to the railing of her temple. Within the emptiness of her world were two beings: a woman with great white wings on her back, and the other having strong arms and black hair. They hadn't been there long when the caught sight of the temple. The woman spread her wings and brought the both of them to the Temple, setting down gracefully.

"How did you come here? There is nothing here." Rhinne whispered. The man's stern face softened as the woman came to her, holding out hands within her own.

"We found this world by accident, what is your name and what happened here that you would say nothing is left?" the woman asked, concern in her voice.

"The world I had created tore itself apart. I am Rhinne, goddess of Olde Sapp and Trascendent of Time. Who are you?" Rhinne asked, almost in a whisper.

"We are traveling sages and have been through many different worlds learning magic. I am Minerva the Gentle, and this is my betrothed, Corus the Black."


	26. ST - Epilogue

Epilogue

It took quite some time, but with Rhinne's help, a new world had been created called Ossyria. In the back of her mind, Rhinne couldn't help but feel that she heard a name similar to both Minverva and Ossyria. Perhaps it was like the presences she had felt so long ago when Olde Sapp was first created: long buried memories but of what?

"There, that should do it. Now all that remains is to bring some people into their world." Minerva stated, her wings fluttering with anticipation.

"If I may Minerva, there is something that I wish to give this world so that what happened to mine will never happen to yours." Rhinne offered. Corus nodded and motioned for her to do so.

"Yes, please, by all means goddess." Rhinne grinned, still unsure she was fit for the title: it brought back memories of the first Transcendents of her world. The World Tree had taken root and a new Light Spirit named Avner watched them over head, both having to still choose a Transcendent of their own. Such potential was here, and she didn't want this world to be as unfortunate as hers. Holding out her hands, she presented Minerva and Corus with twelve orange gems, each glowing slightly from a star of power deep within.

"I created these gems I call the Pillars of Time. When casting a spell through these twelve gems, it will make the spell unbreakable accept by the person that cast the spell, and only that person or until they die."

"And how would this help our world?" Corus asked, raising an eyebrow as he held up one of the gems.

"I am going to cast a spell of protection that will prevent this world from every being destroyed like mine was then spread these gems across your world. This spell will last as long as I do, and I am immortal." Rhinne answered with a smile. Minerva and Corus both agreed to such a spell, standing aside as Rhinne held her arms wide. Each of the gems circled her in a ring as she cast the spell, taking nearly an hour to recite it. When the spell was complete, the twelve stones scattered to all points of the compass. Within minutes, waves of orange passed over them in the sky as the spell took effect.

"Will we ever be able to find these Pillars of time?" Corus asked.

"You will, you need only locate one and it will guide you to another." Minerva sighed with great relief, shaking the hand of Rhinne in thanks.

"And to think, all of this would never have been possible without these." Holding out her hand, Minvera levitated five crystals, each a differing color.

"Now what did you call these again my love?" Corus asked. Rhinne chuckled to herself: questions seemed to be the only thing Corus spoke.

"I… I don't think I ever gave them a name. Perhaps I'll continue calling them just 'The Crystals'."

"Then 'The Crystals' it shall be." Corus announced, holding his hand out as the crystals passed into his hands.

"There is one more thing that I would like to give you. But perhaps it is more a selfish request than anything."

"Rhinne, you are more than welcome to request anything of us, as long as it's within the power we've learned to do so." Corus replied, putting his arm around Minerva and kissing the top of her head.

"I would like to put this somewhere in your world. It is a remnant of mine, and I believe that it would best survive here in Ossyria." Holding out her hand, she presented the orb of light containing Olde Sapp and Versal saved before the Antellion annihilated everything.

"By all means Rhinne, feel free to put it anywhere." Corus answered.

"Perhaps is would be best to put this at the bottom of one of your oceans where those that come to your world can discover it, when the time is right." With an agreeing nod, Corus and Minerva walked with her leading her to one of the many oceans surrounding the vast continent they had created.

"I don't mean to pry Rhinne, but what happened to your world that this is the only remaining piece?" Corus asked, quickly elbowed in the ribs by Minerva. A sad smile crept across her face as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"It is quite the long tale." She warned.

"We'll be walking for some time." Corus pointed out, holding a map up of where they were in relation to the ocean.

"Very well. At the beginning, I was the only one there. Nothing, and I insist nothing existed, save for me…"

* * *

High above them in the Temple of Time, Serpo Arkum watched the three of them happily walk through the newly finished world below. Four eons he had been Rhinne's attendant, carefully watching over her in her catatonic state. Even before that happened when Rhinne had chosen him from the millions of people in Olde Sapp, he had been her attendant.

As the centuries passed, he had begun to harbor feelings for Rhinne. At first, he thought it inappropriate that a human as he could even entertain such thoughts. But as time passed, the feelings became stronger. When she had fallen into the deep depression after Olde Sapp's destruction, he was there for her, caring for her through the eons before these two had come. He read to her memories stored within the Temple of Time, talked with her, walked her through the halls despite her silent catatonic state.

He wanted her to become better, but he wanted it to happen because of his care. When Minerva and Corus appeared however, she slowly did become better. But it wasn't because of him. All the time he had spent by her side when she cried, all the energy he spent in trying to reach her felt as if it was for nothing! These new comers, these imposters had done in a few short decades what he wasn't able to do in eons. Did she not understand what he had put himself through?!

Serpo tried to hint and guide Rhinne to see that these newcomers weren't what she believed them to be and the he was the one to truly be her salvation. Despite his workings, it was all moot as she spent more and more time with them creating their new world. With rage boiling within him, Serpo Arkum left an angry note stating his feelings and his rage then left the temple. One day he would make her pay for abandoning him and rebuffing him. One day, she would regret not seeing his feelings. One day, she would die.


	27. G - Prologue

Great shadows spread across the ground as broad wings blocked out the sun. The ground shook as Balrog's hoof-like feet landed hard on the ground. Above him, Balrog's old master hovered high above the ground resurrecting the others who, in the distant past, terrorized Ossyria. Pink Bean, Horn Tail, Papulatus and Ergoth all stood below The Black Mage awaiting orders or giving thanks for their new life. Descending from the skies above The Sleeping Wood, he drove his palms down with an ethereal growl. Black power burrowed through the water making it churn violently. Dark colors flashed as explosions erupted from far below the surface making waves crash against the beach as the giant fish Pianus surfaced.

Even from the distant continent of Ossyria, the ancient warrior Aran watched with a conquered sigh. The power permeating the air made him feel sick. From behind him, the Empress Cygnus and her knights stood watching the horrifying sight unfold with defeat in their eyes.

"I've failed us all. I could not stop the Black Wings. I was unable to prevent the occupation of Edelstein. And now this." Cygnus whimpered as the Chief Knight Mihile set his gauntlet on her shoulder.

"You did everything possible, Empress. Don't blame yourself," he answered. Chief Knight Hawkeye chuckled with a sneer and shook his head, leaning against a tree.

"Yeah, like you could do any better, sunshine." He shot back. Mihile reached for his sword, stopped by the elegant archer Chief Knight Irena. The Chief Knight Oz, the youngest of them, brushed back the hood of her blazing red cloak then glaring at Hawkeye.

"If you weren't so busy playing around all the time Hawkeye, we might have stopped Eleanor sooner." She shouted, instantly making Hawkeye pick up his weight and stand with his shoulders drawn back.

"'Scuse me? You're blaming all'o this on me? What about you? You're the one always complaining her powers are too weak to do anything."

"Enough! Calm yourself," Irena commanded, stepping between them.

"Fighting amongst ourselves will accomplish nothing. The Mage has risen, yes. We all failed to prevent it, yes. For now, we must return to Herb Town and ensure that everyone is safe. We may have put down a scouting party of Skelegon, but who is to say The Mage has not accounted for it?" She scolded.

Aran listened to the angry words of the Knights. Many hundreds of years ago, he and the other Heroes had argued in the very same manner once they learned of Minerva's death. When something moved within his peripheral, he turned to see his daughter Lillianne and Chief Knight Eckhart. When Cygnus caught sight of her knight standing next to Aran, she called to him.

"Eckhart, report." She called. As he turned around, he took the mask from his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"There is no end to his power. I couldn't get a close enough look to see who had freed him." Eckhart said, watching in shame the events unfolding before them.

"You did what you could Eckhart. " Cygnus soothed as the other knights came over and watched dark light pulsing from the center of Victoria Island. Aran hung his head; a thousand years ago, he and his fellow heroes had sealed that monster away, preventing him from destroying all of Ossyria.

" _Was our sacrifice after all this time for nothing?_ " he thought to himself, leaning against a nearby tree and resting his forehead against his arm as the thought dampened his spirit when a long since forgotten memory came to him.

"There is still one hope for this world," Aran announced.

"What do you mean? There is no more hope for this world." Cygnus asked. Still, she let herself feel some hope at the prospect of some salvation.

"Yes, there is. The Five Masters of Ossyria. Don't you remember? We sent them to another world to keep four of the five Crystals away from The Black Wings. We could bring them back, and they could use the power of the crystals to defeat him." Aran explained speaking faster with each word. At the mention of the masters, Cygnus' shoulders dropped as the hope in her heart died away.

"Aran, we sent them to that world almost twenty years ago. Grendal himself even said that living as we do here in Ossyria is far less hazardous. They might all need retraining, not to mention they might have started families and Time may move differently in that world. It may have been a century or more for all we know." Cygnus argued, but Aran still insisted.

"Yes, it may have been many years ago, but we have to try. Otherwise, we truly will be without all hope. Once we return to Herb Town, I will go and retrieve them." He said. Cygnus pursed her lips and lowered her brow, wanting to believe that Aran was right. Reluctantly she nodded in agreement.

"I hope you're not wrong Aran."


	28. G - Chapter 1: Returning

Chapter 1: Things of the past

"Hey, Mom! Do you know where my backpack is?" Jenny shouted, pounding on her keyboard, firing the last arrow in her digital arsenal. Quickly, she moved her nimble fingers over the keys, making her computer character jump onto a low hanging vine so she could type out a message to her friends.

" _Sorry guys, I gtg… school, lol_ " her four best friends replied in the small messaging system at the bottom of the screen.

 _"Telip22: Yeah… that's a good idea… see you there jenny."_

 _"Bl4ze482: oh crap... i still gotta write my paper too. cya guys there."_

 _"xXdr4gonXx: oh man I didn't watch the clock.. bye bye"_

 _"UnderBelt: wow… I'll be at your house in five jen."_ Jenny quickly logged out of her favorite game, Maplestory, before running into the bathroom and hurriedly smoothing down her short, strawberry blond hair. In the kitchen, her breakfast of an over easy egg on toast waited, which she grabbed after throwing her backpack over her shoulder.

"Bye mom, thanks for the toast!" Jenny called as she ran to the curb where her friend, Helen Olman, pulled up in her silver compact and sitting down in the passenger seat for a ride to school. Waiting for them at the front of the school were the last three that made up their small group: Matthew Drake, Jack Waterman, and Olsen Da'Lor. The five of them greeted each other, recounting their adventures in a 'world' the company Nexon had created, Maplestory. As they walked up to the building, Jack rummaged through his backpack furiously until his shoulders slumped.

"Aw man, you can't be serious." He whined.

"What? What's the matter?" asked Jenny through a mouthful of toast.

"I left my English assignment back at home."

"You should have paid closer attention," Olsen said, holding up a few sheets of paper in his hand showing his own completed assignment. Jack scowled at him, reaching out to snatch Olsen's report, only to miss when Olsen pulled them away.

"Well, if you were your Pirate in Maplestory you could summon your pig and run home to get it after first period," Matthew suggested, brushing his light brown hair out of his face for the tenth time.

"The first period _is_ English." Answered Helen smartly, pulling her assignment from a binder and straightening the pages. Olsen chuckled and shook his head when he saw her report; it was twice the size of his paper, and no doubt included extensive explanations.

"Maybe you could ask for a little bit of time to run home and get it during lunch or something," Matthew suggested when the school bell rang. All the students left outside the building began entering the school when Jack thought he heard his mom's voice calling him.

"Jack! You left this on the seat!" his mom, Carrie, came running up the sidewalk and handed him a thin stack of papers. Jack grabbed them with a thankful call as he bolted for his class, just as the teacher was beginning to roll call. After the English period, the five of them separated to their specific courses. Helen split off to her Honors English class, Jenny and Olsen split off to the field for track practice, Jack headed to his least favorite subject of chemistry and Matthew sauntered into his Calculus class. In the back of their minds, they all _wished_ they could live in a world similar to the game Maplestory because nothing exciting ever happened in this small town of Huron, Ohio.

When the noon hour finally came for the lunch break, The Five, as they called themselves, all sat together strategizing about the best way to level up in Maplestory. As the strategizing continued, the sun began to darken as clouds swirled into a funnel. At the center, bright white light gathered, building into a large sphere. Matthew lowered his brow, reaching into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"I didn't see anything on the weather saying that it was supposed to rain today." He said as students rushed to see the funnel through the nearest window, recording videos with their cell phones or texting their friends and family. Olsen lowered his brow as a sense of foreboding built in the back of his mind. His heart began to pound as his focus became hypersensitive; he couldn't explain it. Something terrible was about to happen. When he looked to Matthew, Olsen could tell that he too was getting the same feeling.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Matthew shouted as he and Olsen, following some unknown instinct, tipped up a table to hide behind. Some of the students ducked down, but the rest of them looked back and laughed at these freaks.

All at once, the light shot down hard, shaking the ground. When it hit, a sound wave ripped through the windows, shattering the thick safety glass and hurling students to the ground. From behind their table, Matthew carefully peered over it into the light, followed shortly by the rest. Olsen was barely able to make out a hazy silhouette of a person with a cape and a long-handled ax, vanishing when the beam stopped moments later.

After the light stopped, the clouds faded away, leaving a crater in the football field. The Five looked to each other and began to whisper about the TV commercials for the new Maplestory class called Aran. It had debuted recently, followed closely by the Evan and Dual Blade classes. They all knew what the original hero Aran was said to look like and it was very similar to the silhouette they had seen standing in the light. Was the outline they had seen that hero?

Groaning from all around brought them back to reality as the students knocked to the ground by the shockwave struggled to their feet. Most, if not all of them, sported cuts and scrapes all over their bodies. The students grunted and hissing in pain as some tried to pull out small shards of bloody glass embedded in their flesh. Others rubbed their ears to try and get rid of the ringing. Helen and Jenny quickly began running from student to student, getting one of the first-aid kits in the room. As Helen wrapped one of the student's wounds after pulling out a couple of shards, she noticed a pale violet glow emanating from her hand, seeping into the student's skin.

"Man, you must know your first aid. It doesn't even hurt anymore, thanks." The student remarked, walking away to the nurse's office. Helen stared at her hand wondering what it was she saw until she realized that there were still others that needed help. But whenever she did help someone, Helen would see the same pale violet glow sparking from her fingers.

After Helen and Jenny had made sure to help where they could, the rest of the day became a tentative mess. Police and other officials inspected the hole in the football field while the school nurse and ambulance crews tended to the wounded, while the more severe cases were taken to the nearby hospital. Tina, Jenny's mom, Carrie and Pierre, Olsen's dad came to the school after having been contacted by the school principal, taking Jenny and Olsen home once the nurse was satisfied that nothing serious had happened to them and returned to work. As Helen drove herself home, she couldn't help but stare at her fingertips occasionally.

" _What is that purple glowing stuff? Am I the one doing it?"_ She thought, replaying the scene over and over in her head until she was greeted at the door by her mother, May, and her grandfather, Glen Olman. Meanwhile, Matthew, who was dropped off at his house by Carrie, found that no one was home. His father, John, was still at work, and his mother may have been out running errands, or perhaps even on a shopping trip with some of her friends. But the quiet house gave him time to think about his actions in the cafeteria before the windows exploded.

He had warned so many people of the light's coming threat, but no one seemed to listen. Had he done the right thing in advising them? Could he have done more to prevent even more people from getting hurt? Since the answers he wanted weren't coming, he decided to search for information about the Aran class on the internet before tackling the few assignments tasked to him.

Meanwhile, Olsen went straight to his backyard training grounds set up by his father to not only practice but to also consider what happened at the school. His father, Pierre, taught him everything that he knew about the Ninja arts. Despite his serious expression and his sometimes intense grey-eyed gaze, his patience as a Master in the Ninja arts allowed most people to overcome his intimidating presence. As Olsen practiced his drills, he thought about the silhouette he had seen in the light and how he _and_ Matthew both knew about the blast even before it had happened. His thoughts were interrupted when he hurled a star and noticed a burst of pink sparks leaping from his hand.

After the sparks had dissipated, Olsen starred at his hand, unsure if what he had seen was real. Did these have something to do with the light at school? His staring made his eyes fall on his watch and realized that he still had homework he needed to do. He walked back inside, grabbed his backpack and headed for his room to begin his homework. However, the thought of what he had seen coming from his fingers kept distracting him.

A few blocks away, Jenny and Jack were talking in the Waterman's backyard; Jack was beating up a punching bag while Jenny held it in place as best as she could.

"So what do you think that light was at school?" Jenny asked, promptly shoved back when Jack slammed his foot into the bag.

"I dunno. Whatever it was though, at least we got the rest of the day off." He panted, pulling his fists up into a guard position once more and throwing a jab.

"Hey, lemme try out your bow for a minute, this is getting boring," Jack announced, pulling off his MMA fighter gloves and stepping out from the barn into the breeze. Jenny followed him, grabbing her bow and walking to the shooting range before handing her bow and an arrow to Jack.

"My bow has a bit of a heavy draw so just be careful when aiming it," Jenny warned as Jack nocked the arrow.

"How bad could it be? Besides, with these guns, I don't think it'll be an issue," Jack laughed, flexing his arm making Jenny chuckle while motioning for him to aim at the straw target. Just as he predicted, Jack was able to draw the bow, but missed entirely and instead struck an old fallen tree.

"Not as easy as it looks, huh?" Jenny asked, taking the bow back from Jack and hitting the bullseye. Carrie sat on the stairs of their back porch watching the two of them, calling to Jack for him to return to his punching and reminding him that he had a wrestling team audition the next day. Begrudgingly, Jack put his gloves back on and hammered at the punching bag, stopping long enough to get a drink of water.

Carrie was a fit, full busted woman with caramel brown hair and olive-green eyes. Her husband, Mark, was often complimented for marrying her. He had a tall, robust build with dark brown eyes and dark skin that reminded Carrie of her commander on the _Nautilus_ , Muirhat. Often Mark would get into a bind when he would reprimand some other for man whistling at Carrie or calling out some derogatory term if he was within earshot. Carrie appreciated him for it, though she would laugh to herself when he wasn't looking, knowing that she could easily fight off anyone herself. She had made a name for herself as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter but stopped after she married Mark and learned that she was pregnant with Jack.

Jenny stayed in their backyard until her mother, Tina, came back from her work at the local grocery store. After a short evaluation, the two of them went back to their house next door.

"It appears you have achieved being able to hold your bow without strain," Tina commented, motioning for her to come in the house. Tina had been a championship archer before Jenny was born, placing number one in the country and number two worldwide, but only because she had been purposefully holding back.

"It's doesn't feel like it; my shoulders feel like they're on fire all the time," Jenny complained as Tina chuckled and nodded her head.

"Your shoulders will become stronger. Do not forget; I did recently gift you a bow having a heavier draw," Tina said as Jenny went into the house. As Jenny passed her, Tina couldn't help but notice the tops of Jenny's ears had become slightly pointed. Just before Tina followed her daughter in, she looked back into the trees that lined their backyard, her hand unconsciously going to the top of her ears from a small, annoying itch. The tinge of power hung in those woods felt like a whisper from a life she had almost forgotten.

Before she could say much else, she could hear Jenny getting onto her computer in her bedroom and signing into her game. Tina only laughed to herself; that girl couldn't seem to get enough of that game, staying on it for up to 5 hours at a time. Her husband Kalib had died from a heart attack not long after Jenny was born, and since then she hadn't wanted to marry again. She was an independent woman and felt that Kalib was the only man that ever understood her and her situation.

She could still remember waking up in this world as she walked over to the mantle in the living room and ran her fingers across the picture of Kalib and her on their wedding day. He didn't stand much taller than her with gentle, trusting dark eyes and dark hair. With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself away from the picture to start cooking a simple dinner when there was a heavy knock on the door.

When she opened it, a golden envelope placed on the doormat greeted her. She looked around to find who had dropped it there, but she couldn't see anyone; not even her keen, grass green eyes could pick out any hint of a shadow in the darkening evening sky. Slowly, she stepped back inside; and just as she closed the door, she was surprised by Jenny walking down the hall. Quickly, Tina pulled the envelope behind her back and tried to seem innocent.

"Who was that mom?"

"It was only the postman dropping off a priority letter," Tina answered quickly, running her hand over her ear to pull back some of her long, sandy hair.

"Then why are you hiding the letter behind your back?" Jenny asked, growing more suspicious as she walked towards her mother.

"That's none of your concern. Is there homework to do young lady?" Tina scolded, making Jenny laugh and roll her eyes as she went back to her room. Tina placed the letter into the cupboard to hide it and then continued making dinner.

" _I hope that letter does not mean ill tidings._ " She thought as she worked through making a Hamburger Helper dinner. When there was trouble, she and the other masters had always sent letters to each other in gold envelopes, giving them priority status. Jenny came out of her room just long enough to grab a plateful of food, which she took back into her room where she sat patting away at keys, as she wrote a report that was due the next day.

Once midnight finally came, Jenny shut her computer off and crawled into bed. As Tina walked by her door, she leaned on the frame, watching Jenny's hand smolder a dull green. Tina had carried that power to this world and passed it on to Jenny when she was born. There was no getting it back. When Jenny was old enough, Tina spent years teaching Jenny skills she had learned when she was a girl. At first, Jenny resisted; but when Tina showed her the numerous trophies she acquired over the years, Jenny was motivated to train with the bow in her spare time, unless she was playing her game.

" _Jenny, you'll be a powerful Archer someday, you just don't know it._ " Tina thought as she walked over and kissed Jenny's forehead. After that, she retrieved the envelope from the cupboard, sat down, and scanned over the content of the letter. It was a message from her old friend, Aran, which detailed her worst nightmare: the resurrection of the Black Mage. The letter further asked for her to meet with Aran in the woods that night.

Tina already felt dread: it had been nearly 18 years since she had come here, housing within her the power of the Emerald Crystal. In this world, that same power, which now resided in Jenny, made her skills as an archer unparalleled. Tina went into the garage and moved aside things that she had gathered over the years, revealing the door of a safe. Rapidly, she twisted the knob into the combination unlocking the safe and revealing an old yet strong bow, The Kandiva. Beside it was a quiver of still sharp bronze-tipped arrows. A mirror beside the safe made her turn around a few times, realizing how long she had been out of practice.

" _It appears I will need to train in earnest once I return._ " she sighed; the years in this world had filled her figure. She wondered if her Queen had ever dealt with such problems. With a shake of her head, Tina threw the quiver over her shoulder and quietly went through the back door and into the woods behind their house.

* * *

Near the middle of town, John, his wife Yasmin, and Pierre had met at a restaurant to socialize with one another. Usually, the affair included Tina Price, the Watermans, the Olmans, and all of their children. However, this night found only the three of them together. Yasmin was a slim petite woman with fair skin and long, straight black hair. On this night, she wore a high necked evening dress making her already small form become more pronounced next to John. As they were finishing their mean, Pierre set down his silverware and laced his fingers to rest his chin on them.

"How is your son, John?" Pierre asked. John looked over to Yasmin before taking a drink to rinse out his mouth and begin his reply. The three of them had gone to dinner at a small restaurant in town,

"He is a strong boy. He doesn't appear to be too overwhelmed but is concerned that he didn't do enough to keep others from being injured." John answered, returning to his prime rib dinner. Pierre took a deep breath and sat back in his seat, narrowing his grey eyes.

"Both he and Matthew were right to act as they did, considering they both only acted on instinct and not from any training we have given them," Pierre said, leaning forward once again and speaking in a low tone.

"However, I am concerned for the Olman girl, Helen. She unknowingly has used its power." John froze mid-cut of his steak and set down his utensils, leaning closer to Pierre and speaking with the same low tone.

"You're sure of this? The Amethyst Crystal reawakened?!" John hissed.

"When have you known me to lie Dances?" Pierre asked.

"Never. But I have known you to withhold truths which can be just as dangerous. Were you able to see if any of the others have reawakened their crystals?"

"As of yet, I'm unable to say." John set his elbow on the table and leaned his head onto his fingers while shaking his head before speaking again.

"We came here eighteen years ago to hide those crystals and to keep them dormant with their idle existence."

"There is something more Dance. Aran came to this side in the light at the school." Yasmin looked to John with wide eyes, knowing what all the conversation might mean. Yasmin had come from a family that revered stories and legends as part of one's history, but not the entirety of it. After they had begun dating, John explained to her why he was here and where he had come from in the past. Yasmin believed that some of what he had told her was true, that he had fled from his home to hide something here in the U.S. But now she began to question whether or not those legends held _so_ much more.

"If he has come then it means The Mage has once again risen. He might be unaware that we no longer control the crystals." John muttered. Pierre was about to speak when both he and John looked up to each other, rushing from the table to the outside. Both of them looked around, trying to find what they had felt, but saw no one. As they turned to re-enter the restaurant, they both saw a gold envelope tucked into a light fixture in front of the building. John and Pierre both glanced at each other. As John retrieved the envelope, Pierre went back inside to pay for their meal, Leaving with Yasmin.

"John? Is everything alright?" She asked, pulling the strap of her purse over her shoulder while he read over the letter.

"No Yasmin, everything is not alright. Jin, I'll meet you there." John said, handing the letter off to Pierre, while he led Yasmin to the car and drove away with unusual haste.

"John, what's wrong," Yasmin asked, grabbing onto the handle next to her as John sped around corners back to their home.

"An old friend has come to town, and he doesn't bring good news. We are meeting with him tonight to find out just how bad things have become back home. Back in Ossyria."

* * *

Carrie sat on the back porch, drinking a cup of her favorite lemon tea as she listened to the birds and crickets. It was peaceful in this world. There was never any danger of some creature attacking their house, and no bandits would come in the middle of the night. But the peace left her longing for the life she had as captain of the _Nautilus_. She had carried the second half of the Ruby Crystal with her to this world, while Dances brought its counterpart. Jack had tired long ago of his training, taking a shower and quickly falling asleep, leaving his homework unfinished. Mark came walking out and sat down next to Carrie with a cup of coffee and looked to the barn where he could see the punching bag swinging in the slight breeze.

"You know, he's tearing up that bag. I might need to get him a new one soon." Carrie laughed, as she looked closer to see bands of silver duct tape wrapped numerous times around it to cover the holes in the cracking vinyl.

"Well… he is our son."

"Your son you mean." Mark chuckled as Carrie leaned on his shoulder.

"It seems like he's gotten some new strength over the past couple of days. I've even had to put the bag back up on the hook a few times." Carrie pointed out. Mark shook his head and chuckled into his cup.

"That I know all too well." He answered, rubbing her back as he kissed her forehead. Carrie looked back out across the yard and took a sip of her tea, dropping her shoulders and closing her eyes as another gentle damp breeze weaved its way through the yard.

"You still miss the _Nautilus_?" Mark asked. Carrie sighed and nodded.

"I told you that once I seal this business deal, I'll get a _boat_ ," Mark said, adding emphasis on the fact that he had promised a boat. Carrie turned back to him and smiled.

"I still want to name it the _Nautilus_ you know," Carrie responded smartly. Mark nodded, looking off into the dark woods just beyond their wooden fence. It had been 18 years since Carrie had come here. As odd as it was, Carrie appeared high above a lake where Mark had been fishing over the weekend. Carrie was a strong swimmer, but the plunge into the lake made her somehow hit her head, allowing Mark to rescue her. A year of visiting and talking turned into dates, marriage, and the welcoming of their son Jack. Mark knew her story of why she appeared in the middle of a lake, though he didn't believe the whole thing. He was a partial owner of a major fishing company and had heard _plenty_ of stories of the sea.

Slowly, an envelope drifted down into Carrie's lap. Quickly, she set her tea down and slipped her finger through the top of the letter. In fearful anticipation, she pulled out the letter. Her eyes darted back and forth as she read over the neatly written letter she had hoped would never come. Without saying anything, Carrie got up and went to a picture hanging above the mantle and revealed a safe behind it. Inside was a revolver pistol sporting a decorative red a gold maple leaf on the side, along with a small capsule of bullets. With firm motions, she loaded the gun and strapped the holster around her hips while walking upstairs to their room, grabbing a light jacket.

"Carrie, what's wrong?" Mark asked when he saw her loading the large pistol.

"Nothing, there's just something that I need to take care of."

"Honey, you have a loaded gun, and you're brushing it off as though it's a picnic. So yes, it's something."

"Mark, trust me on this; it's not going to be dangerous. This gun is a badge, of sorts." Carrie answered, kissing Mark on the cheek.

"I'll be back in an hour or so." She said, walking to the back door when Mark's grip on her hand stopped her.

"So, you're sure that this isn't something that you're going to be getting into a fight over?" Mark asked once again.

"Yes, I'm sure. I _can_ handle myself, Mark. I used to be an MMA fighter, remember?" Carrie smiled, squeezing his hand before running out the back door with the letter in hand.

* * *

Glen was typing on his old Brother typewriter when he felt something from a past life hanging in the air. Squinting his eyes, he held his hand out as a weathered staff floated into his grip. When it touched his hand, Glen lifted from his chair and glided over the floor to find the source of the twinge that he felt. Helen's adventure at the school this afternoon left him wondering if someone had crossed over from Ossyria. Also, he began to worry that the crystal within Helen was reawakening, allowing it to start seeping into her being before she was ready. The present issue of the power he felt somewhere in the house, however, was slightly more pressing. As he searched through the house, thoughts of his life before and after coming to this world came to mind.

Glen, better known to his comrades and Grendal, had traveled 100 years in this world's past upon being sent here, slowly learning what he could so the others wouldn't be as unprepared. Living in this world for that long meant that he needed to use his magic, which was amplified by the Amethyst Crystal. The old mage would use this power to stay young enough until meeting a girl to 'settle down' with and create a permanent life. It wouldn't be until 1968 of _this_ world that he would meet his love, Helen.

A few years later, when he learned Helen was pregnant, he sealed the crystal's power preventing it from weave itself into Gregory. When Gregory married in 1991 and had a child the following year, the Amethyst Crystal passed to his granddaughter, Helen, named after Glen's wife, who passed away earlier in the same year.

As he thought about his love, Helen, a tear came to his eye, as the power he felt led him to the attic. Floating up into the dusty room, the top of his staff glowed with a spell ready to deal with any foe he might encounter when he saw his friend Aran sitting in the frame window.

"Aran; I should have known it might be you. How are you?" Glen said in a pleased tone. Aran nodded, picking up his halberd and walking over to Glen, the boards creaking with each step under his and the Halberd's weight.

"You've changed quite a bit yourself, old friend. your beard isn't as long as I remember, Grendal." Aran pointed out as Glen chuckled.

"When you're my age in this world, a beard that long gets in the way all the time." Aran nodded while placing a hand in his shoulder and squeezing it slightly.

"It's time, Old friend," Aran said gravely, making Glen raise his eyebrows.

"You can't be serious Aran. The Black Mage…"

"I'm afraid so. Also, The Mage resurrected all the beasts you and the others defeated all those years ago."

"To what purpose?"

"No one knows, old friend. But come, the others will be heading towards a campfire in the woods." Glen nodded, floating back down into the house to grab a coat and followed Aran into the night. It had been some time since he had seen his comrades, even though they all lived so close to each other. Despite the promise of seeing his comrades, the news Aran brought took priority, and his joy would need to wait for later.

* * *

 **It's back and better than ever!**


	29. G - Chapter 2: It Is Time

Chapter 2: It is time…

Aran and Glen made the leisure stroll through the forest in a short time, coming to a small campfire within a clearing. The fire swelled as Glen faced his palm to it as he sat down on a large buried stone. Aran raised an eyebrow, placing more wood within the small circle of rocks.

"You haven't lost any of your abilities after all this time here, Glen. I'm impressed; I would have assumed that not using your powers here would make your mana atrophy." He said, leaning back slightly when a flare of sparks wafted towards him. Glen chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I've been practicing in private when no one was looking. Running a magic shop for a while in my younger days helped me explain away some occurrences people saw. Though it was always interesting trying to explain to some people why I was able to summon an Ice Golem to my side from nowhere." He laughed when he caught sight of both John and Pierre walking into the light.

"Aran, it is good to see you," John said, placing his hatchet, shield, and ax near the fire, Pierre set an armored glove next to the campfire. Aran nodded at him, squinting his eyes slightly before noticing John's appearance.

"You look so different without your headdress Dances; I'm surprised that you didn't bring it," Aran noted; John shrugged as Tina was the next to speak.

"I am more appreciative of him without it, personally." She grinned, nodding to Pierre and Glen.

"It's good to see you again, Aran. How is Lilin doing?" Tina asked, taking an arrow from her quiver, stabbing it into the ground and propping her bow against it. Aran nodded to acknowledge her arrival when his eyes brightened in recognition.

"Athena, I didn't recognize you at first. Lilin is doing fine. I suppose that you didn't know, but we have a daughter now; Lillianne." Tina's face brightened into a smile as she nodded to Aran.

"Congratulations. I do not doubt your daughter has become as fine a warrior like her father," She smiled, only to fade when she noticed the fallen expression on Aran's face.

"She is, but I wonder if I've made her childhood suffer because of it." Silence hung thick in the air until Aran turned his attention back to Tina.

"You look quite different then I remember. I almost didn't recognize you when you walked into the circle." Tina blushed slightly and sighed.

"Life _and_ baring a child in this world can cause one's figure change." She replied, her arms subconsciously pulling around her.

"I meant your pointed ears are gone. And your hair isn't as long as I remember." Aran explained, motioning with his hand as he spoke. Tina nodded, running her hand through her hair.

"Elves do not exist in this world, Aran. It is but an illusion spell Grendal placed on them to hide their true appearance. As for as my hair; good cleaning pastes to keep one's hair clean is quite expensive. Hair as long as I did have was not the most cost efficient." Aran nodded his understanding when Carrie came jogging into the circle and placed her pistol on the ground next to Tina's bow. Aran tilted his head, looking at the places where they had set their weapons.

" _Have the crystals become so weak that they don't change the fire at all?_ " he wondered, standing once he was sure everyone was present. When he next spoke, it was with a low but severe tone.

"And so, we are all here. I see each of you made lives in this world when I delivered these letters to you, so I will not take up any more of your time than I need to. I also understand that you all have created new names for this world. However, it will be quicker for me if I refer to you by your Ossyrian names. It is time that you, the Five Masters, return to Ossyria. The Black Mage has risen once again and resurrected most, if not all, the enemies that you slew. Despite the best efforts of Cygnus's Knights, Evan and myself, we were unable to stop his return." They all sat in silence, Tina and Pierre hanging their heads while Glen pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How did it happen?" asked Pierre coldly. Aran shook his head.

"I can only speculate. The Black Witch Eleanor came to the palace in Ereve and fought with the chief Knights, severely wounding her in the process. But she evaded capture. The Knights under Eckhart speculate that she stole the Dark Crystal and used it as a key piece in his resurrection." Tina's face drained of color as her shoulders tensed.

"You don't think…" Pierre snapped his attention to her and cut her off.

"It's the only thing that could have possibly given her enough power to break through the seal, Athena." Everyone remained silent for a long while until Carrie broke the silence.

"Alright, that sounds scary and all, but who is this 'Black Mage' that you're all so scared of? I mean, I've gathered that he was a pretty big deal back in the day while we were in Ossyria, but _come_ on! He's just a man with flashy tricks up his sleeve." She asked loudly. Despite having spent most of her life at sea, even _she_ had heard of this despicable man, but no more than rumors. Glen looked over at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No Kyrin, I mean Carrie, my apologies. The Black Mage is a _genuine_ danger to Ossyria existing well before you came into port, or even before you were born. Aran and Tina would be the most versed on who he is." Glen solemnly said.

"Tina?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and looking at her speculatively.

"Yes, Athena and I have known each other far longer than you may think. She was only a child when I saw her the last time." Aran answered, glancing over to Tina until Carrie spoke up once more.

"Then fill me in; I only know the stories and rumors." She demanded. Aran adjusted his footing, taking his Halberd from around his shoulders and setting it on the ground before clearing his throat and beginning.

"The Black Mage used to be a Sage named Corus, just like our goddess, Minerva. But when a severely wounded man thrown through a portal came under his care, Corus changed. Whether out of thanks or out of some semblance of self-preservation, the man taught Corus Black Magic. It twisted Corus into a being whose sole purpose was to destroy everything. He preached that after everything of the corrupted world had been wiped away; he would rebuild it and together with Minerva, they would rule it with an iron fist. Minerva reminded him of the Pillars of Time, powerful magic stones, Rhinne had explicitly forged to prevent the world from being destroyed. But The Mage countered that all magic, no matter how powerful, can be broken with enough force.

Eventually, the arguments became wars, and Corus became The Black Mage. These wars became so intense that it led to Minerva separating what is now Victoria Island away from the mainland of Ossyria, out of The Mage's reach save everyone she could. The mission of protecting the people on the island was given to us Heroes by Minerva, leading to her end. That monster slaughtered her with a surprise attack. After the other Heroes and I learned of his sin of killing Minerva, we learned of his plan to steal the power of time from Rhinne, goddess of time. Any man with the ability to kill Minerva is dangerous enough; but if The Mage possessed enough power to rend a goddess's power away, there was no telling what he would do with Rhinne's power added to his own.

After learning of The Mage's plan, we Heroes went to the Temple of Time and faced him directly, eventually able to seal him away within the center of Victoria Island. Despite our victory, a trap set by The Mage sealed us away in Ice. During the fall from the temple, I stayed conscious long enough to see that I had fallen the great Aquian Sea, and was sealed for the next 1000 years. " Carrie's shoulders slumped, blankly staring into the fire.

"Wow, I never heard _that_ story before." She whispered, supporting her elbow with her knee and laying her head over into her hand.

"I remember crewman Bain saying something about The Mage and his disciples not long after the _Nautilus_ made port. I thought it was just from us being at sea too long, but I never thought there was more to the story." Glen nodded, hanging his head.

"Yes, they have always been there, lurking in the shadows of history." He said when Pierre spoke up.

"What happened to the warriors that helped us in coming to this world?" he asked flatly, all of them turning to him.

"Whom are you speaking of Pierre? We came on our own." Tina answered, making Pierre shake his head and wave his hand.

"No, I mean the young woman with the strange pistol and the Nova warriors. Have you forgotten all they assisted us with?" Pierre asked with a huff as they all thought for a moment until Kyrin perked up, snapping her fingers.

"Oh! I know who you're talking about! The gunslinger! Her name was something mechanical sounding; Jett! Yeah, I remember her. And the other two. They were named, uh…"

"Tear and Kyle. What happened to them Aran? They seemed quite concerned when we left." Interrupted Pierre, locking eyes with Aran who sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Kyle, Tear, and Jett all returned to their world. I don't know what happened to them after that." Pierre nodded his understanding. In legends, The Nova were fierce warriors, defending not only Ossyria but also their own country from an enemy never saw while Kyle, Tear, and Jett were with them.

"What about the _Nautilus_?" Carrie asked, standing once again with concern thick in her voice. Aran thought for a moment before answering.

"We used it to help get as many as possible to Herb Town via Aqua Road," Aran answered when John set a hand on his shoulder.

"Were all of them able to be saved?" he asked. Aran nodded.

"Most of them were saved and are in the farthest point in Herb Town. We managed to use the Pirate's Den to hide the _Nautilus_ thanks to the cooperation of the Pirate Lords."

"What about the crew?" Carrie asked, each question making her face show more and more concern. Aran sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Muirhat has yet to be found or return. While we were taking some of the last people from Victoria away, an army of Skelegons was closing in through Henesys. Just as we were readying to leave port, the Nautilus stalled. The three Whalians that were maintaining the Core in the engine room became weak from hunger. As a result, one of them passed out. Sharyl took his place, but it was taking too long to restart the drive crystal. Muirhat volunteered to give us some time by stalling the advancing hoard. Your sister tried to stop him, but he went anyway. That was last any of us saw of him. I went back after the initial attack, and this was the only thing that I found." He reached behind him and pulled out a dirty white cloth Muirhat used to cover his eyes. Carrie dropped her shoulders and whispered.

"Muirhat…" she whispered, taking the bandage and sitting down. Aran straightened, reaching back for his halberd, Maha, and held it over the fire, which flared slightly as Maha himself appeared, looking earnestly at all of them.

"Masters, it is time that you return to Ossyria. The time for the Mage to fall has come." Aran said sternly. When none of them moved, Aran pulled Maha away and stood it up next to him.

"What's the matter, Masters? The Black Mage has risen, and your home is under attack! You and the crystals are needed back in Ossyria, more than ever!" he bellowed when Glen stood and hobbled to him.

"Aran, believe me, we _all_ want to return. But we no longer control the crystals. That power has since moved on to our descendants." With disbelief in his eyes, Aran stared at all five of them, and then to their weapons. It was only then that he understood why the fire hadn't changed when they set their arms down next to it.

"Then they crystals have diminished far more than I thought they would have. Why didn't you tell me this from the beginning?" Aran demanded. Pierre stepped forward with a lowered brow and wide, earnest eyes.

"We've told you now. With the crystals within the children, it only means that we will need to train them. It would be no worse than if we were to return to Ossyria."

"Yes, but at least you still have your strength and the fighting knowledge from before you came here," Aran huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

"If that is the case, then we need to leave in three days. Be sure to have everything you need by then." Aran announced, picking up a bucket of dirt and tossing it on the ashes, smothering them as the Masters all silently left. When Dances returned to his home, Yasmin was absently reading the book she had bought at the dime store not long ago. When she heard John come in, she quickly put the book down and shuffled to the kitchen, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed against her favorite snowman pajamas.

"So, what's the damage?" she asked. John looked back up into her eyes, blinking slowly.

"We have three days until we leave."

* * *

Slowly, Ergoth stepped through the dark halls, to the throne room where his new master sat. As he walked through the door, he could see The Mage rolling The Dark Crystal over his fingers as though it were a coin. Beside The Mage, a crystal ball displayed six people silently speaking around a small fire.

"Master, why not go to world? Take crystals easily. Playing is waste time." Ergoth asked in a deep, gravelly voice. The Mage turned his scorching gaze to him, making Ergoth tense and shift his stance, ready to defend himself. Sharp clicks of heels on stone echoed through the hall as a woman walked up to The Mage from the shadows.

"The Master has different plans Ergoth. Besides, simply taking them wouldn't serve his purpose." Said the sultry voice of Eleanor, leaning enticingly against The Mage's chair. Whispers of hundreds of murmurs began to rise around them all, turning his attention to the Dark crystal in his palm. Ergoth tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Power is less? How that be? I think crystals power is never less." Ergoth exclaimed. The Mage turned his gaze back to Eleanor, as thick, hiss-like sounds echoed until a high-pitched voice interrupted The Mage's whispers.

"Then if all it takes to get their power back is use, why did you bring us back to life?!" The voice belonged to Pink Bean, a creature resembling a sizeable pink pillow with tiny purple horns. Ergoth looked back to the waddling creature before continuing the thought presented by Bean.

"Only make trouble for Masters. What is meaning?" Ergoth asked. The Mage stood and held out his hand to Pink Bead, narrowing his eyes as whispers rose in their ears. One of Horntail's three heads weaved its way into the room and thrummed in the back of his throat, speaking with a breathy growl.

"If all you are doing is bringing us back, only to send us back to our graves to 'train' the crystals, why bring us back at all? Your disciples would be plenty a challenge," Huffed the hydra, small flames flaring between his teeth. The Mage blurred as Horntail found himself driven into the ground, while Pink Bean went flying in a random direction. Ergoth scrambled at his neck from the Mage's iron grip, after pinning him to the wall next to the door. Growling hisses buzzed in their ears while the light in The Mage's eyes became brighter, tightening his grip around Ergoth's throat. Horntail growled in discontent, re-adjusting his jaw and spitting out a glob of blood. Eleanor picked her weight off the chair, walking to the middle of the room.

"He is right you know. It would be much easier to send you back to your graves right now than to explain himself to such simple-minded fools as you." She said. Ergoth clenched his jaw, gasping for breath as Pink Bean spoke, trying to sound Intimidating despite his squeaky voice.

"If all you did was to bring us back to kill us, using us as tools for your success, then I want no part in it. We did not agree to this!" Bean shouted. The Mage smiled as he let go of Ergoth and faced the giant talking marshmallow. Eleanor walked over to the Mage, placing both hands on his shoulder, leaning against his arm.

"You're correct, Pink Bean. That isn't the agreement. The Mage only gave you the chance to gain revenge on those who had killed you before." Eleanor answered while The Mage gazed intently into Bean's eyes. Ergoth struggled to stand and glared at the Black Mage. But he averted his eyes when The Mage looked over his shoulder to him, overpowering Ergoth's glare, making all except Eleanor leave.

"You know master; there is no reason to be so harsh on them." Eleanor smiled. The Mage sat down again and waved his hand over the crystal ball. The image of the masters departing their meeting appeared, while agitated whispers hung in the air around them.

"They may not be worthy of being called your followers, but where else would you find such fine fodder for your plans? Pink Bean and Horn Tail especially will provide enough challenge to advance the crystal's power quite far," Eleanor said, sitting down on the arm of his throne. The Mage turned his gaze to her for a moment before turning back to his ball, more whispers rising.

"Yes, there are others. However, I wouldn't want you to waste your time, energy and power searching when you've already spent a considerable amount bringing them back." Eleanor stood once again and leaned forward to fill The Mage's gaze with her ample bust and lovely face.

"Besides, the power that you will gain by training those children to use it will be nothing short of _magnificent_ ," Eleanor emphasized while The Mage's eyes appeared to smile, nodding slowly and grunting his approval. Eleanor stood once more before crossing a hand over her chest making a small bow.

"No, thank _you_ , my master."

* * *

The next day, The Five woke up early, signing into Maplestory and playing through various quests given by NPC's within the game. Bosses and monsters fell by the dozens. While playing, they also scoured the internet, trying to find anything regarding the Aran class until it was time to sign out and get ready for school.

Everything seemed normal, boring even, despite the enormous hole still in the middle of the football field. It and the scabs, bandages, and stitches on the students were the only things remaining to give any indication that something had happened the previous day. School went by with the same boring lessons. P.E. came and went, along with other classes in a blended blur. The only highlight of the day was the arrival of the local news van coming to report on the giant crater. It was all so disappointing.

Once school was over, The Five to a diner, laughing and talking about anything that came to mind until Jenny redirected the conversation.

"Hey, did you guys happen to notice anything weird when that light came down?" she asked, trying to speak over her mouthful of burger. Olsen thought for a while, then pointed his finger into the air when he remembered something.

"I did notice some rather strange pink sparks while I was home training yesterday," he said, grabbing his soda and taking a big drink. Helen held up her hand and rubbed her fingers and thumb together.

"Everyone that I helped with the first-aid kit told me that whatever I did took away all their pain. And I noticed this weird purple glow on my fingers."

"You glow in the dark?" Jack asked with a laugh, making the others giggle as well. Helen shook her head.

"No, it wasn't in the dark. It almost looked like purple glitter glue," Helen replied, pulling out her smartphone to look up theories of people gaining powers. Matthew crumpled up his burger wrapper and slumped back in the booth.

"You know, now that you mention it, ever since that light came down I've been noticing small bursts of red light coming from my hands every time I practice in the backyard," he said, reaching for his milkshake. Olsen and Jenny both looked to each other.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the Light we saw at the school?" Olsen asked, casually reaching for a french fry. Helen shrugged as she scrolled through her phone.

"It could. A light coming out of nowhere is strange enough. It would be pretty cool if it were though." Helen answered, clicking off the phone and sliding it back into her purse.

"I just hope it doesn't mean that we're all going to be some hideous mutation or something," Jenny said, taking another bite of her burger. The Five of them sat in silence for a while, contemplating these colored glows until Matthew broke the silence.

"Have you ever gone down to the docks at sunset?" asked Matthew to no one in particular. Jenny swallowed her fries quickly, reaching for a soda to wash them down and speak.

"No, not really. Don't you get in trouble though since it's you know, _THE DOCKS_?" replied Jenny. Matthew laughed and flipped his hand.

"Nah. There's a deserted section after about 5:30. You wanna go? I go there a lot to think." Everyone looked at each other back and forth. None of them had any important assignments due the next day, and so they decided to go. As they walked, they hung onto each other's shoulders and sang loudly words that they had made up to a song from a MapleStory town called Ludibrium.

" _Take all your cares and fears in this big world,_

 _Make a big basket and throw it out._

 _And you all have a great time!_

 _Don't think about it at all_

 _Take all your cares and trash them_

 _Don't look back at all!_ "

They stumbled through words a few times, forgetting what it was they had made up while walking where Matthew led them. Once there, Matthew directed the other four to the waters drenched in colors of red, yellow, orange and pink. Olsen jumped up to the cross brace of a nearby crane, flipping and jumping up the crane.

His movement caught Jenny's eye as she watched as he climbed the crane's struts. She knew that she had nowhere near the same acrobatic abilities to, but climbing would mean she would be alone with him. It would give her the opportunity to tell him about the feelings she has harbored for him ever since she reached her early teens. After looking around for a bit, she found the ladder leading up to the control cab and began climbing the crane.

On the ground, Jack stood silently near the edge of the dock, letting the gentle breeze from the water wash over him. It was strangely familiar to him, even though the only time he had ever really been close to the water was during a trip to a section of the beach next to Lake Erie. Even on that trip, it felt like the water was where he was supposed to be.

"It's a beautiful sunset," Helen said as she sat down and dangled her feet over the edge of the dock. Matthew walked up beside her and crouched down.

"I come here to think sometimes. I think I even wrote a report here once." Jack nodded, agreeing with Matt.

"Well, it's better now that I'm here," Jack answered, flexing dramatically which made the three of them laugh. Meanwhile, Jenny reached the top of the crane, walking carefully over to Olsen who sat with one leg dangling over the edge of the boom while looking out over the water.

"What are you doing up here?" Jenny asked as she came and sat down next to Olsen. She hugged her knees to her chest while being careful to keep away from the edge, slightly chilled by the breeze that blew.

"Just thinking." She looked away so he wouldn't see her blush as she heard his ever so slight French accent. She was quickly brought back to reality when Olsen began speaking again.

"Jen, I don't know why, but for a while now I've had this feeling…" Jenny turned quickly to him. Was he going to confess first? Was the guy that she had a massive crush on about to tell her that he liked her? Was she prepared for this? Jenny's tongue felt numb, and her hands felt clammy. Her heart began to pound so hard that she could hear it in her ears, and hoped that Olsen couldn't hear it.

"…It's been nagging at me ever since I can remember. I've always had the feeling that I wasn't going to stay here, that I wasn't _meant_ to stay here." Jenny hung her head. As Olsen's words plowed through her, she felt her heart deflate. Jenny had built so much tension within herself that it almost hurt to hear him say he had a feeling that he was about to go away. Regaining her composure, she turned her head to him, still laying on her knees.

"How do you mean?" she asked, trying to hide her clenched hands and pursed lips.

"It's as if there is a feeling that something bad is going to happen. When or how it's going to happen remains unknown, but deep down you know that it will happen."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Jenny nodded, awkwardly twirling her shoelace.

"That's how it feels to me. It's as if all of us, not just me, are going to go very far away from here very soon. I don't know. I just have that feeling is all." Olsen turned his gaze towards Jenny, who wasn't prepared to meet his gaze, and her entire face turned red.

"Does that make sense?" he asked. Jenny turned her face back into her knees quickly and nodded.

 _"Damn it! Damn it! Damn It! I just can't say it! What do I do? What do I do?"_ she thought, clenching her jaw and fists. Olsen chuckled and stood.

"Anyway, that's what's going through my head." He said as he walked back towards the ladder leading down to the docks. As he climbed down, Olsen saw a group of four men dressed in baggy pants and thin tank tops walking towards Matthew, Helen, and Jack. The three of them took no notice of the men until one of the men with a large '71' tattooed on his cheek called out to them.

"I guess no one told you this is our dock. You in our zone, so get your sorry asses outta here before something happens."

"And what happens when we don't move?" asked Helen, getting up and standing slightly behind Matthew. Jack rocked his head to the side as he got back up, while Olsen and Jenny stood behind the men.

"Oh, girl's got game." Said a second man, stroking his bushy black beard while walking up to Helen and reaching out for her arm. Matthew grabbed onto the man's forearm a lot harder than he ever remembered being able to and pushed the man away. Helen backed away from the man's reach until she and Matthew noticed a red glow on the man's arm in the shape of Matthew's handprint. However, as the light faded, there didn't seem to be any visible wounds from it.

"Oh, so you want to fight, do ya? Then come at me, lemme see whatchu got." The man challenged. Matthew chuckled in response and shook his head and began walking away with Jack and Helen. Olsen and Jenny walked around them, taking long strides to catch up to the rest of them.

"You're not worth it," Matthew said flatly. The bearded man chuckled under his breath, calling out to them as the five left.

"I see how it is, you just gonna chicken out like all the otha punks around here. You ain't nothing but a…"

"Just shut it already," Jack called back over his shoulder and continued walking until there was a loud double click behind them.

"You wanna say that again you little shit?" the tattooed man demanded. A third man with a bright green bandana pulled his shirt up to reveal a pistol secured in his belt. Olsen felt his arms become numb and his legs become heavy as he turned and caught sight of the gun.

"He doesn't have to prove anything to you," Jenny called, turning around to see the bearded man holding a gun at arm's length approaching them. The sight of the barrel and the sound of the hammer being cocked back made all five freeze in place.

"Well, that's too bad. Since yo boys here don't seem like they want to man up, I'll just take what I want." Again, the bearded man walked towards Helen. Olsen's mind screamed at him to do something, but the sight of the gun kept him grounded. Matthew and Jack twitched to do something but froze again when the bearded man and the fourth man reached for their weapons. With slow movements, the bearded man draped his arm over Helen's shoulder, pointing to the various people within his group with his gun.

"My name's Geo. That's Hector with the beard, Ian in the bandana, and Ricky in the back there," he said with suggestive tone, looking over to Jenny who shifted her feet, ready to run.

"You both are _way_ too pretty to be hangin with these piles of crap. Why don't you come with us and we can…" Olsen's leg streaked past Helen's head and slammed it into Geo's forehead, his shin flaming with pale pink light, flinging Geo away from Helen. The rest of the remaining men grabbed their pistols and aimed Olsen.

"You wanna try that again?!" Ian demanded angrily.

"Seems like they ain't so useless after all," Geo said, getting up while holding his head as he steadied his steps. Olsen set his leg down slowly, his entire body burning with a desire to move, to beat these guys, to do something. But with a gun now trained on him, his options were limited to being faster or distracting them. His movements were more rapid than the average person, but he would need to be _A LOT_ quicker to disarm these punks. Once Geo had steadied himself, he quickly walked over to them, shoving Olsen aside and forcefully pulling Helen forward.

"Don't touch me." She demanded as she pulled away. The man reached out and grabbed her arm again, holding up his pistol to her cheek.

"Maybe you'd like to meet the back side of my piece upside your head? Yeah, that's what I thought. Come on, we gonna have some fun tonight." Geo laughed pulling Helen away. Matthew and Olsen flinched, but the end of Ian's and Ricky's guns stopped them. Hector walked around them and grabbed Jenny, dragging her away as well. As Helen struggled, her arms and hands glowed a dim purple color making Matthew and Jack look at each other in confusion.

Geo suddenly let go, shouting that he had been burnt, allowing Helen to begin running away. She made it only a few feet before she was grabbed and shoved to the ground by Geo. Roughly, he rolled her over and pulled her shirt off while reaching for the button of her pants. A green glow flashed around Jenny, allowing her to get away from Hector and clamber up onto a dumpster, holding the lid shut as he tried to get in. Helen screamed for help just as Geo reached for her bra until Jack kicked the guns away from Ian and Ricky in one blur of movement. He then swiped both of them across the face with a hard punch into the water, crossing his arms when the guns fell into his hands with the butt of the grips touching.

Matthew was about to tell him how stupid he was when a transparent, red flame engulfed Jack and spread to the guns. The light concentrated around the ends of the barrels as the sound of cannons roared. The shot screamed past Geo, putting two large holes in a dumpster, making him stop and look back to see Jack leaping in, fists glowing red.

The impact hit with the sound of distant thunder, throwing Geo off of Helen. Olsen and Matthew stared for a minute until they realized they were no longer in danger. They both ran for Helen, Matthew grabbing her crumpled shirt and Olsen helping Helen to her feet and leading her away from the area. Jack moved like a flash, slamming his fist into Hector as he clawed at the dumpster containing Jenny, knocking him unconscious.

Geo struggled to his feet, reaching for his pistol and aiming at Matthew, Olsen, and Helen as they ran. He was quickly met with four fast punches and sent flying into the water as Jack somersaulted backwards. Matthew turned around when he heard the splash, staring in awe and confusion at Jack. Olsen led Helen to a space between buildings near the dock, turning around to see what had happened. Helen backed against the wall, shivering while holding her arms around herself, still feeling Geo's cold hands slithering across her body.

When Jenny no longer heard the sounds of Hector banging on the dumpster, she carefully pushed up the lid to see Jack standing in the middle of the dock, a red glow surrounding him as though it were a slow-moving flame. After climbing out of the dumpster, she kicked Hector in the gut where he lay twice, then turned her attention to Jack.

"Jack, are you ok?" Matthew asked as he approached Jack. As Matthew neared, the red glow stopped, and Jack collapsed to the ground unconscious. Both Matthew and Jenny rushed to his side to try and catch him before he hit the ground but were too far away.

"We need to get Jack back home," Matthew commanded, reaching to pick Jack up when he realized he was still holding Helen's shirt.

"Don't you think we should take him to a doctor?" Jenny asked as she was handed the shirt and Matthew picked him up over his shoulder.

"And tell them what? 'My friend collapsed after beating up four guys while he was glowing'?" Matthew asked.

"It's better than taking him home! What if he has internal bleeding or something?" Jenny asked, walking with Matthew as he made his way off the dock.

"In either case, we need to get him away from here. Maybe Jack's mom will know what to do." Matthew answered, passing by Olsen and Helen, coxing them to follow. Jenny gave Helen her shirt, staying with her as the five made their way to Jack's house.

* * *

"Now, tell me again what happened?" asked Carrie, placing a second cool towel on Jack's head as he lay unconscious in the living room of his house. Olsen put a hand over his mouth, running down his chin before beginning.

"We were down at the docks just watching the sunset from a spot that Matthew told us about, when a group of four men announced the dock was theirs, telling us to leave. I asked them what would happen if we didn't, and they all pulled guns, two of them reaching for Helen, and Jenny. The next thing I saw, a red comet thing hit a dumpster, and then Jack was rushing the guys. His whole body was glowing red. He punched two into the water, kicked a third into the water, and knocked out the fourth. After that, he just passed out." Olsen explained for the fourth time, looking over to Helen who sat at the end of the kitchen table staring down at the ground, rubbing her arms vigorously.

She shivered as the disturbing look in Geo's eyes kept flashing through her mind and the ghost of his hands on her body lingered. Jenny walked to her and tapped her shoulder making Helen jump and whimper but calmed when she saw Jenny sit down next to her, speaking quietly enough that only Helen could hear.

"You okay?" Jenny asked, reaching out for Helen's hand.

"No, I'm not alright. I want to go home, but I want to make sure that Jack's alright first," she muttered. Carrie squinted her eyes; something had happened to the poor girl, but none of them had explained anything beyond Jack passing out after punching four people. Turning her attention back to Jack, Carrie shifted the towel on his head as Pierre and Glen came through the front door.

"Jack'll be fine guys. It sounds like he just went a bit overboard." Carrie assured them.

"But what about that red glow we saw?" asked Olsen.

"You might have been worried about Helen. Lots of weird things can look like they happen when someone you know is in trouble." She said with a sad smile, her thoughts turning to Muirhat. Helen looked over to Jack and walked over to the couch, sitting down on the floor. Carrie reached for her hand and shook her head when she noticed Helen reaching for Jack, her hand glowing a dim violet.

"But…"

"Helen, he'll be fine. It's late. You should be getting home. Pierre, would you make sure they get home safely?" She asked. He nodded firmly and led them out the door, Jenny offering to go over to Helen's to make sure she would be alright. Glen then turned back to Carrie, reaching into his jacket for something.

"Are you still going to keep them in the dark?" Glen asked sternly.

"It's for the best, Glen. If they knew about who they are, they would get themselves into far more trouble. Were you able to find it?" she asked when she heard the garage door open, signaling that Mark had just come home. The sound of the door hadn't reached Glen as he shook his head and pulled out the elegant crystal bottle from within his jacket.

"It took me a bit of time, but I managed to find it." He replied, pulling an elegant bottle from within his jacket, when Mark walked in from the garage.

"Hey babe, did Jack and the others have a study session or…what happened to Jack? And what's in that bottle?!" he asked when he saw his son passed out on the couch. Glen and Carrie looked at each other: it was time to try and convince Mark that what was about to happen was very real.

"Mark, honey. Do you remember that story I told you when I woke up in the hospital? That wasn't a story; it's real. Jack's powers as a pirate have been steadily getting stronger. Why do you think that we've had to buy him a new punching bag every couple of months? Today he just tapped into far more power than he was ready for." Glen shook the bottle in his hands as the thick, blue liquid inside emanated a soft light.

"Right, and my sister is a mermaid. Carrie, those things were something you dreamed from hitting your head." Carrie objected and motioned to Glen. The old man walked to Jack, pulling the top from the bottle with a long glass rod attached, and dragged it across Jack's mouth. The boy's entire body glowed blue as Jack instinctively swallowed, then rolled over on his side, fast asleep.

"It's not," Carrie answered. Mark blinked his eyes a few times trying to mentally explain what he had seen: maybe he had too much coffee, or the lighting was weird for a second. Jack didn't just glow blue for a moment, did he? Carrie went to the safe above the mantle, took out the revolver, and held it straight out. The motion caught Mark's attention, watching in dumbfounded disbelief as the same blue glow engulfed her arm, spreading to the gun as she pulled the trigger.

An ear-splitting roar shook the house as a blue bolt shot into the night, making the nearby windows explode. After dropping his hands away from his ears, Mark slumped onto a second couch within the living room, trying to wrap his head around everything that he had just seen.

" _Everything that Carrie told me is real? This magical land called Ossyria and the Nautilus is real_?" he thought, looking over to Jack, and then to the bottle in Glen's hand.

"What did you just give Jack?" he asked, trying to keep himself from shouting. Carrie sat across from Mark on the coffee table, putting the pistol next to her.

"Jack used up all his Mana, something that every human has within them. It's a byproduct of his Life Force that we can harness for special abilities. A person only has a little bit after they are born, but with training, you can have more. Jack had drained ALL of his Mana and passed out because his available mana supply is still small." Carrie explained, as Glen sat down next to Mark and put a hand across his back.

"The potion I gave Jack is a Mana restorative. Rest is the only safe way to restore the remainder. If one were to rely on potions, it could kill you," he said. Mark let his head fall into his hands. It was all too much. His wife was some kind of freak, and his son was another freak, and he was a freak for marrying a freak. All of what he had seen only existed in fairy tales and legends, not real life!

"Everything will make sense soon," Glen explained.

"We're leaving for Ossyria in two days, and all of you will be coming." Mark couldn't get his head wrapped around what was happening. The whole life that he built was just about to end. His entire career and living were all going to disappear. Carrie moved to the couch next to him, grabbing his hands and turning his head to face him.

"Please, just for a bit, humor me and say that you believe me. Trust me; I'll tell you everything when we're there." Mark nodded absentmindedly, unsure if he would ever be able to accept what he had just seen.

* * *

"Is Jack going to recover? Spontaneously collapsing like that can't be good for him," Olsen pressed.

"Yes, he'll be perfectly fine after some rest," Pierre answered with stoic disinterest.

"What about the red glow around him and his fists?" Jenny asked. Sure, she may not have a crush on him like she did Olsen, but Jack was still one of her close friends. Helen could only vaguely hear what was being said. It was as though everyone was talking a long way off while Jenny guided her.

"All will be made clear shortly. For now, go home and rest." Pierre instructed. Reluctantly, Olsen conceded and was about to begin jogging home when he remembered that Jenny and Helen would be alone, turning to follow then when Pierre grabbed his shoulder.

"Olsen, I have some business that I need to attend. I will be late tonight," he said sternly. Olsen nodded and jogged after the girls. Once Olsen was out of earshot, Pierre turned to an empty lot.

"You can come out, Aran. I still can't believe that even after all this time you can't suppress your presence." Pierre scolded as Aran stood and walked to him, setting the end of his halberd down on the street.

"How is Jack?" Aran asked.

"He's unknowingly tripped the Ruby Crystal's power. The resulting fusion made him use all his mana and subsequent energy. I believe your arrival here is what has started the crystals' reawakening." Aran nodded and looked to the star-filled sky.

"It's only been a day since I arrived, but I'm beginning to think three days is too long. This world isn't ready for something as powerful as the crystals. I was there at the docks watching them, and the others too had unknowingly tripped the crystal's power, but not to the severity of Jack." Pierre lowered his brow.

"Olsen left that detail out when telling us what had happened," Pierre said, growling in his throat, crossing his arms.

"Don't be too hard on him. It's the girls, Helen and Jenny, that I would be most worried about." Aran said, following Pierre's stare.

"What do you mean?" Pierre asked, unfolding his arms and staring hard at Aran.

"You mean they didn't tell you Jin?"

"Tell me what? What happened to the girls?" Pierre asked again, this time with a more intense growl in his voice. Aran sighed as his face fell.

"Both Helen and Jenny were nearly raped today. If it Jack hadn't tripped the Ruby Crystal, I doubt that four unconscious people would be the worst that happened." he sighed. Pierre clenched his fists tight enough to make his skin creak. Aran shook his head, firmly touching Pierre's shoulder with his fist.

"We need to leave tomorrow, or else they may fully awaken their powers. Without proper training in a world that accepts the kind of powers they possess, I fear that they will destroy everything around them." Pierre looked up and lowered his brow.

"Tomorrow? Aran, dozens of preparations need to be made to sever ties with this world." Pierre pressed when Aran grabbed his shoulder hard.

"Jin, listen to me! I stayed behind to watch the young men that Jack had defeated. From what I've come to understand of the people in this world, they don't trust, nor do they accept people like you and me. They are terrified of people like us, and it will only cause more trouble if we stay much longer. Minerva forbid they should come after Helen and Jenny again when they are alone, or go after the boys when they are alone." Aran argued. Pierre roughly pulled his arm away, clenching his right hand but remembering that he had already taken off his weighty claw. Aran dropped his hand and turned to leave, stopping to speak over his shoulder.

"I'll convey the message to the others. Be ready to meet where I arrived with anything you will need," Aran commanded. Pierre sighed heavily and shook his head, his upper lip swelling as he pushed his tongue between it and his teeth.

"I'll meet you there." He finally said while Aran nodded and disappeared. Pierre leaped into the air and then was propelled forwards with a hex made of lavender light, heading back home.

" _'…And so, when the time is near, the power of those blessed with their power will show itself as a sign that the final battle is nearing fruition.' I guess there's no going against it now. What would you do, master?"_ Jin thought as he lept through the darkness back home, only accompanied by the silence of the night air.

* * *

The Mage's whispers seemed pleased as he tapped his finger on the arm of his chair, watching everything from his crystal ball.

"Why not give them a taste of what's to come if things are progressing so nicely?" Eleanor asked silkily. The Mage turned his pale red eyes to her, narrowing them as if to ask 'why'?

"If they can't hold their own against your pawn, the Stump King, then there's no use in calling them here." The Mage growled low in his throat approvingly, whispers rising around her. Eleanor smiled back, sitting on the arm of his throne while running her long black nails along his jawline and turning his face to her, hovering just above where she guessed his lips to be.

"Indeed, it is an endeavor worth trying."


	30. G - Chapter 3: Returning to a Place

Chapter 3: Returning to a place you've never seen

The next morning, Matthew woke up with everything in a haze. As he walked from his room to the kitchen, he noticed pictures and keepsakes missing from hallways walls. Walking further through the house, he saw furniture missing, as well as the entire house having been cleaned from top to bottom. Outside, dark clouds drifted overhead, making everything Matthew saw seem even stranger. John and Yasmin walked in from the front door with sweat-streaked dust on their faces, as a Salvation Army 18-wheeler pulled away from the front of their house. The only thing that remained was the phone. Yasmin spotted Matthew standing at the end of the hall as she came in.

"Oh, Son. You're up." She called, grabbing a nearby towel and wiping her face.

"What's going on? And where is all our stuff?" Matthew asked, looking around at the patchwork-faded carpet where the furniture used to be.

"Matthew, listen. We are…" before John could finish speaking, the phone rang. Matthew quickly answered it, discovering that it was Jack on the other end.

" _Hey man, you'll never believe what my mom just did."_

"I bet it's not any stranger then what's going on at my house."

 _"What's going on there?"_

"My folks just gave everything away to charity. _EVERYTHING_ man."

 _"You're kidding, right? My folks just did the same thing. Jenny's and Olsen's folks too. I bet Helen is having the same problem."_ Just as Jack was finishing his sentence, the phone beeped.

"Hang on man; there's another call on the line. Hello?"

 _"Matt? It's Helen."_ her voice sounded quiet and raspy.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" he asked, realizing that his current situation was still not as pressing as Helen's.

 _"I'm at least not crying anymore. Jenny stayed with me overnight."_

"That's good. I'm sorry that Olsen and I couldn't get to you sooner. We froze."

 _"It's alright, we were all in a very tight sit..."_ the phone line went dead, leaving an annoying beeping in the receiver. Matthew tried to get the phone working again by tapping on the hanger before he hung up the phone and turned back to his parents.

"Ok, what in the _hell_ is going on?" Matthew demanded. Heavily, John sighed as he stepped forward.

"Son, the game Maplestory you've been playing is not just a game, it's a tutor for…" claps of thunder interrupted him while the wind began to blow. Matthew ran outside to see what was going on to see a funnel forming above the cottonwood tree in their front yard. Looking out from the door, John turned and snatched a large backpack, then grabbed Yasmin by the wrist and led her away from the house while trying to grab Matthew's hand. Winds steadily picked up all around them until they were strong enough to make the shingles on the house flutter.

"We have to leave now!" John bellowed, dragging Matthew down the front walkway to the street. Matthew never questioned his father, but right now was going to be an exception. He pulled his hand from John's enormous strength and stopped just in front of their tree.

"Dad, what's going on!? The same thing happened at school. What is…" a peel of lightning threaded from the clouds to the tree, leaving a smoldering, jagged hole where it had struck. Matthew shook his head, trying to get the ringing out of his ears, turning his attention back to the cottonwood. Within moments, the leaves died and fell from its branches. The bark became dry and splintered before his eyes, peeling away from the truck. An ethereal thrum reverberated as the roots pulled from the ground and squirmed across the grass like tentacles. Holes began to appear high on the trunk, crackling and popping as it started to move. John's skin paled, and his blood ran cold: he knew who this abomination was and he couldn't allow his son to face him yet, not without proper training.

In a flash of bluish gold light, John appeared beside Matthew, dragging him back with the same blur of speed as a thick root slammed down where Matt had been a moment before. It hit with enough force to break the walkway into rubble, collapsing what remained into the dirt. John quickly returned to Yasmin, grabbing her hand and running in the direction of the school.

From behind them, the tree let out an otherworldly scream as its roots pulled its trunk free. It began walking out into the road, its roots wriggling across the pavement. Matthew looked back, seeing a strange red cloth appear around its upper bows, followed by a few balls of dark light floating around the top branches facing him with faintly glowing pupils.

As he took in the scene behind him, Matthew recognized what, or rather, who it was. The tree was the boss monster from the deserts of Perion, Stumpy. But, Stumpy was just a character from the game Maplestory, wasn't he? What in the world was he doing here? Why was he even real?

Driving its root feet into the street for stability, Stumpy opened his splintered mouth as bright golden light gathered at the back of his throat.

"INCOMING!" Matthew shouted, making John look back and drop Matthew, while forcing Yasmin to the ground as a beam of light shot over them. A nearby parked car became the unfortunate recipient of the ray, melting into a smoldering pile of molten metal. Yasmin and Matthew stared slack-jawed at what was left of the vehicle until Jon hauled them to their feet and began running once more.

Howling roars filled the air as Stumpy gave chase, weaving his way down the street after the three running before him. As the three of them rounded a corner, John saw the Olmans, Tina, and Jenny walking down the road not far ahead of them. Glen heard the noise of their slamming feet on the pavement and turned to see who it was, calling out to them as they ran passed.

"John! Why are you in such a hurry? Didn't we all agree last night to meet at noon? And what was that..." his question was cut short when Stumpy rounded the corner, letting out an ethereal roar. May and Greg, Helen's parents, both stumbled back, tripping over themselves as they turned to run. Glen took Helen by the hand as he and Helen lifted a few inches from the ground and sped away after May and Greg. Tina's brow furrowed as she reached for the bow around her shoulders, slinging it into her hands and nocking an arrow. Jenny's eyes became wide, trying to see the walking tree until Tina grabbed her shoulder hard, making her look into Tina's eyes.

"Jenny, go with the Olmans."

"Mom, what is that…"

"JENNY! DO NOT QUESTION ME! GO! NOW! RUN!" Tina shouted, pushing Jenny away with a firm hand. Jenny hesitated, looking behind her mother at the closing tree, skipping backwards before turning around in a full sprint. Just as Tina whipped around to face her foe, a root shot past her. Tina swung her bow, a burst of blue flaring as the bow cut through the root. As she spun her bow back into her hands to draw the sinews, a larger root swung from behind her, batting her out of the street in into a nearby car. The loud crash of glass and crunch of metal made Jenny turn around, seeing her mother slumped against a badly damaged car.

"MOM!" Jenny screamed. Further down the road, Glen, Matthew, John Yasmin, Helen, May and Greg all stopped when they heard Jenny's scream. May put a hand to her mouth shock seeing Tina slumped against the car, pulling Helen behind her as if to shield her from the sight. Greg appeared ready to run into action when John stopped him, shaking his head.

"Stay with Yasmin, she will take you three to the school. Wait for us there." He commanded. In flash of bluish-gold light, John appeared next to Tina, picking her up and jumping back as another beam of light melted the car. Jenny spun in all directions until she saw her mom standing next to John and Matthew, holding her head and was about to begin running to them when she felt a thick root wrap around her, hauling her into the air.

Jenny's piercing scream split the air making Matthew turn to see her being slowly crushed, her screams beginning to become gapes of pain. Matthew looked around the area, thoughts of his hesitation at the docks spurring him on until he saw a baseball bat in a front yard of a nearby house. After grabbing it, he rushed towards Stumpy, planting his foot next to the tree's trunk and swinging the bat as hard as he could. A rush of bright red flames roared down his arms and bat, slamming into the tree hard enough to collapse part of the trunk, making thunder echo down the road. Matthew grinned to himself until he heard his dad's voice call to him. Looking to his right, another large root swung at him, dirt and dust flinging into the air as it moved. Before it hit, John appeared in front of Matthew, holding up a shield but being thrown into Matthew as both of them were hurled into a hedge of nearby rose bushes.

Lights began popping in Jenny's vision as the root around her curled tighter and tighter around her waist. She was only vaguely aware of Helen's grandfather calling to her, as her hearing began to fade and was replaced with the rush of blood and the pulse of her heart. Jenny's head began to feel light as it became harder and harder to breath; she was sure that at any moment, her ribs would collapse.

"Olsen… help…" she wheezed, feeling something beginning to well up within her. It felt hot, as if fire were hurtling through her veins. Meanwhile, Glen held a bright fireball in his palms ready to fire, but with Jenny being held hostage, he hesitated. He was worried the blaze would do more than burn only the tree, especially since Jenny wasn't wearing any protective armor, when he noticed a cloud of green flames on her hands.

"Oh no no no no no…" Glen muttered to himself, shaking his hand free of the flames and instead, an icicle that fizzed with electricity formed around his staff. He held it as if it were ready to launch a spear, when a black streak cut the root, appearing with Jenny in his arms some distance away. When Glen saw that Jenny was clear, the electricity around the icicle buzzed louder, snapping off the manhole covers as Glen hurled his icicle. The sound of thunder blasted down the road. A shockwave ballooned from Stumpy, throwing John and Matthew from the rose bushes, breaking the windows of the nearby cars and shoving them to the side. Ice plastered across Stumpy's face, flattening him to the ground, making everything fall eerily silent. Glen immediately rushed in the direction Jenny disappeared to, finding Tina kneeling next to Pierre, dressed in black shinobi attire. John and Matthew began to painfully pull rose branches and thorns from their clothes and skin.

"I'm sorry Tina, but we can't stay here. I don't know how long that attack will keep The Stump King paralyzed." he urged, looking over the unconscious Jenny in Pierre's arms.

"If Jenny is moved she may sustain unintended injuries. That root gripped her tight enough to fracture her arm." Tina argued.

"And if we don't move now, The Stump King will be ready to fight us head on. You've become lax in your training Athena as well as Dances, otherwise this may not have happened." Pierre scolded, soliciting a smoldering glare from Tina. Glen looked around for a moment, realizing someone was missing.

"Jin, where is Olsen?" Pierre slowly turned his attention to Glen, reaching into his shirt and pulling out a small vial of a thin white liquid and pouring it into Jenny's mouth.

"When I heard the ruckus in this direction. I sent him to fetch Kyrin, Jack, and Mark at their house and meet us at the school. This is the last of the Snow Potion I brought with me. It should speed up the healing of that fracture."

"Not soon enough I'm afraid," John said, both he and Matthew's arms and face stained with blood from the rose thorns. Glen followed John's pointing, seeing the roots of The Stump King beginning to move once again as the ice began to crack. Matthew's wide eyes widened as he watched the huge oak tree begin to move once again.

"Uh, dad? It's getting up again," Matthew said, patting John's arm to get his attention. Glen looked back to Jenny, shaking his head as he grunted in frustration.

"Everyone gather around. I'll transport us to the school." Glen said, holding out his arms as if to pull everyone in.

"I'm going after my wife and the Olmans. The school isn't too far from here, but they are already around the corner," John said, jogging down the road. Glen nodded his understanding, making sure everyone was close enough before folding his hands in a triangular shape, disappearing from the road with Tina, Jenny, Pierre and Matthew.

* * *

"What was that thing?" Greg asked, wheezing as he jogged along with Yasmin, brushing his short black hair out of his sweaty face. Both he and May weren't very physically adept as being self employed accountants didn't require much activity.

"I don't know, but I do know that my husband can handle it." Yasmin answered, keeping the four of them moving.

"It was a moving tree! Trees don't move like that!" May argued, tripping as her small heeled shoes caught a crack in the sidewalk.

"It's a creature called Stumpy, mom. It's from the game I play all the time," Helen answered flatly.

"From a game? Then why is that thing chasing us if it's from a game?" Greg asked, though shrank back when he realized how loudly he had spoken. Yasmin was about to answer when she heard the slaps of feet on the sidewalk coming from behind her, turning around to see John.

"Oh, did you…"

"No. He's coming, we need to run." John said when Greg let out a loud whining groan.

"More running? Are you kidding me?" John turned around, motioning to the giant tree rounding the corner.

"More running it is!" Greg called as the five of them once again jogged towards the school. Within a few short minutes, Greg and May were heaving for breath, unable to keep pace. John hoisted them over his shoulders, running the last few hundred feet. When they arrived in the football field, the others had already gathered in the center of the crater, enclosed in police caution tape, while a guard persistently pestered Carrie, Tina, Jack, Mark, Matthew, Glen and Pierre, still holding the unconscious Jenny.

"Look, I don't care if you're the president's daughter on a family picnic, lady. This area is strictly off-limits, not to mention that you have an unconscious girl here. You need to leave and get her to a doctor," The cop argued with Carrie.

"And I will say it only one more time; _we're not moving_. We need to be here, and that's it." She said, putting her hands on her hips. The cop grit his teeth as he saw the others hurriedly running for the circle; he reached for his radio with a livid growl.

"Look, you to need to stay out of the area." He said, huffing as they ran passed him under the tape. When no one was listening to him, he quickly radioed in for backup.

"What took you so long, Dances. Did you forget your battle axe?" Carrie asked with a laugh in her voice. John set the Olmans down, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"No, I needed to make sure these four weren't caught," John answered. Carrie raised an eyebrow.

"By what?" She asked, as John pointed to Stumpy as he came swashing through the grass around the school building.

"Oh…" Carrie answered. Glen whirled his hands around one another, preparing to use another spell. A forceful grunt echoed through the air as four large icicles careened into the dried-out tree, followed by a wave of ice that covered Stumpy in a thick sheet. The snowy ice led back to a man with short white hair and striking light blue eyes running past them, weilding a gold decorated halberd.

"You five get started. I'll hold that tree off until you're ready to go!" called the man, as Stumpy began to break free from the thick ice. Olsen, Matthew, Jack, and Helen looked at each other. So many things had happened around them all at once. First, it was a strange light with an Aran silhouette at school. Then it was Stumpy being real, and now Aran himself was battling the ancient tree spirit, Stumpy. The only element that connected them was the game Maplestory. Were they _all_ real? Their thoughts were interrupted when Pierre motioned for Olsen to hold Jenny, as the Five Masters drew their weapons, holding them over the center of the crater. As they did, each master called out a city and their name.

"Athena Pierce, Henesys!"

"Dark Lord Jin, Kerning City!"

"Dances with Balrog, Perion!"

"Grendal the Ancient, Ellinia!"

"Kyrin, Port of Nautilus! Power of Minerva, hear us! Let us travel from here to where we belong!" The clouds began to twist into a funnel above them as small yellow balls of light gathered into a bigger one. A root shot by Aran, but was flung back by a beam of blue light from his weapon before he lunged after the tree. A police car pulled into the grass facing the group, the policeman standing behind the door of his car and shouting over their loudspeakers when he saw the huge tree.

"Get out of there!" the policeman called. Dances looked back, about to tell the police to run when Stumpy wheeled around, reaching a root around the squad car and tossing it like a paper plane. Glen pulled his staff from the center, swinging as though he had thrown something, as two sets of scratch marks appeared across Stumpy's back to get the tree's attention. When Stumpy turned back araound, Aran to pummeled the tree with a series of quick slashes. When Glen returned his staff to the center of the group, the light had solidified. A climbing whine began humming in the air, loud enough to be slightly painful.

"ARAN! IT IS READY!" called Dances above the noise. Aran looked back; and in one hard swing, split the tree in half. He then flashed to the group just as the light drove down on them all. It shook the ground like an earthquake, ripping through the town for a few seconds before vanishing. Those who had seen the tree and the light came out of their hiding places and buildings alike, looking over the now deeper, smoldering crater in the school's football field.

* * *

The Mage slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair, as the mask he wore around the aura making up his face creaked from his clenching jaw. He grabbed a small glass statue and hurled it as hard as he could, shattering it against the wall. Ethereal growling sizzled in the air. One of his Skelegon servants waddled in with a golden platter, holding a glass of a special Mana potion Eleanor had made for The Mage.

He took the challis before holding up his free hand and slowly clenching it, making the bone creature crumble, snap into pieces, and gather into a ball. Quietly, The Mage walked to a window that overlooked the now desolate island of Ereve floating on the waters. Without the power of Shinsoo and the Empress Cygnus, it was nothing more than another drifting piece of land. Eleanor came walking in, swinging her hips with each step just as she usually did, and pulled back the hood covering her red eyes, silver hair, and beautiful, youthful face.

"Why are you letting yourself become agitated over this? It's nothing more than a distraction. The Stump King is only alive when he has a tree to control, and even then, he is only as powerful as the tree he inhabits. Beyond that, he is nothing more than a floating orb." She said, holding out her slender hand as an orb with a small flame above it appeared. Whispers hissed around her as The Mage held up his hand, cracking his knuckles as he clenched his fist.

"While it may have been to give them a taste, there was never any guarantee _they_ would be the ones to attack and not the Masters," Eleanor answered, shaking her hand and dismissing the orb, placing her hands on The Mage's shoulder and resting her chin on her hands. Thoughtfully, he drank another mouthful of potion, questioning whispers rising in the air, sounding as though he were trying to suppress his irritation.

"So far, nothing has turned up in the search. My wyverns have been searching day and night; and still, nothing has come of it. Are you sure that they're above ground?" Eleanor questioned, as The Mage shook his head, sipping the potion. Eleanor backed slightly and bowed before disappearing in a cloud of vapors.

* * *

Jack stirred, slowly opening his eyes, but quickly closing them again when the light from outside stung his eyes and made his head pound. As he reached up to massage his temples, he realized that his whole body ached.

" _What happened?"_ he thought, groaning as the pain in his head slowly faded. From somewhere in the distance, he could hear what sounded like a crowd in a mall or a fair.

" _The last thing I remember was running to school, mom yelling something, and then hit with a beam of light._ " Once his headache had subsided just a bit, Jack tried to get up but felt something hold him down. The something didn't feel like a hand; it felt like a paw. He opened his eyes and saw a panda wearing a blue kimono, an orange overcoat with wide eyes and a wild tuft of fur on the top of his head.

"Lay down young man. You've got quite a bump there. Or is a lump?" the panda said, pressing a towel, smelling of bitter herbs and some other strong scents, to his head. Jack tried to get up again, but the panda pushed him down again, harder this time.

"You are to stay here for a while. I don't want you getting all woozy and pass out." The panda said. Jack relaxed and put his head down on the pillow, chuckling to himself as he reached for his forehead to feel the protruding goose egg.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard. There's a Panda taking care of me." Jack mumbled. The Panda looked around the room, spinning left and right multiple times.

"Where? I don't see him." The panda asked. Jack picked up his hand and pointed at the Panda who responded by pointing to his chest and raising his eyebrows.

"You think _I'm_ the talking panda?" the panda said, walking over to a mirror hanging on the wall, rubbing his chin as if to inspect a shave.

"Well, you're right about the Panda. Handsome fella." He said, reaching for a comb to brush down the tuft of fur atop his head. Another panda pushed aside the cloth door, flooding the room with light, making Jack moan again.

"Mr. Do, Tae Sang needs your help. More warriors than he can handle are returning ." The second panda said.

"Tell him I'll be right there." The panda in the kimono turned to leave, pointing his paw at Jack.

"Now stay there until I come back. I'm Mr. Do by the by. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Do said as, he reached back to shake Jack's hand before leaving, his voice fading into the distance. Jack sighed and blinked a few times, trying to rid his vision of the rainbows he saw. It sounded like this panda was a doctor of some kind. But it was a _talking panda_! Things like that didn't just happen! Looking around the room once his vision had cleared, Jack slowly sat up, pulling off the towel on his head. In trying to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over him, so he reached out for the nearest wall to steady himself. He began to hear echoes of whispers coming from a long way off.

He looked around the room to find where it was coming from, but it sounded like it was coming from everywhere. Thousands of whispers gradually became louder and louder when all at once they became a single female voice. It was soothing and warm.

"Welcome home, child," the voice said, dying away in the same eerie whispers.

" _Welcome home? I don't even know where I am!_ " Jack shook his head when another wave of dizziness washed over him, walking through the cloth door once it passed. On the dirt paths, dozens of people walked, ran, or limped around the city-like campsite. Some of the people carried bowls of herbs and other ointments, while others moved supplies. Across the street were rows of wounded soldiers or strange short men having their injuries treated.

Jack carefully walked through the crowds of people, noticing that several of the adults would bow to him as he passed by. Small children came running up to him asking if he was going to, in their words, beat up the Black Mage for good. Jack couldn't answer. He felt like he was dreaming with all the respect and adoration shown to him. It was almost creepy. He tried to walk away quickly, but as he did, a small entourage of children began to gather around him. Eventually, he found Matthew, Helen, Jenny, and Olsen, with a crowd of children following them and bowing to them as they passed.

"Where were you, sleepy head? It's been a couple of days." Jenny said, carrying a small girl with fire red hair in her arms .

" _Days_? I've been out for _days_?" Jack asked in surprise.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to wake up," Helen called, escorting a child in each hand. Jack smiled, happy that Helen seemed to be doing at least a little better. Leaning over to Olsen, he spoke quietly.

"How's Helen doing? She seems a lot better." He asked as Olsen nodded.

"She appears to be better for the most part, though I doubt she will ever forget the experience. There are sometimes she'll still jump if she hears someone behind her, or feels a hand on her shoulder. Jenny has been staying near her, and it appears to have helped her. Only time will tell." Olsen answered. Jack nodded his understanding.

"What about Jenny? Is she ok? Last time I saw her, she was knocked out in your arms," Olsen sighed, looking over to Jenny as she knelt down and played with a blond boy.

"Jenny had a fractured arm and a few cracked ribs from that tree grabbing her. She's lucky too; one of the doctors here said a moment longer, and one of her ribs would have broken completely and punture a lung,"

"Dang man. How is she otherwise?"

"Physically she's fine. Helen's grandfather did something to her by waving his hand over her. Mentally though, she's still adjusting. She will jump if you come up behind her and don't call out to her." Again, Jack nodded his understanding and walked beyond them, where he was what appeared to be the main street, where makeshift shops and food vendors lined each side of the road.

"Where the _hell_ are we? Is this some kind of county fair?" Jack asked, half expecting to see a parking lot on the far side of this marketplace. Olsen walked beside him, a dark-haired little boy holding his hand.

"No. It isn't. Trust me, I looked for a parking lot. All I managed to find is that we're in what appears to be a refugee camp." He said, seeing someone he thought to be Ms. Price and Mr. Drake walking among the people on the main road. But they were dressed very differently, and people would bow to them or excitedly greet them as they walked. Ms. Price wore a sturdy, brown, long-sleeved blouse and green skirt with slits running up to her hips. On her head, she wore a golden band with a gem in the center.

"Jenny, is that your mother?" Olsen asked, pointing her out to Jenny. She stared for a while, trying to see the woman she had come to know in her 17 years of life. But the woman she was seeing was so different; even the way she acted towards people had changed from a couple days ago.

"Wait a minute, is that my dad?!" Matthew asked, staring in disbelief at the man he saw.

"Weren't you awake for the last couple days? Didn't you see him then?" Jack asked.

"Well, yeah, but not dressed like that!" Matthew exclaimed. Mr. Drake was wearing a headdress decorated with large, black-tipped feathers. A thick, leather faud and tassets hung from his waist, and a decorated cowl sat around his neck. Jack chuckled when he saw them.

"They almost look like Athena Pierce and Dances with Balrog from…" his words trailed off into silence as he remembered what had been said before the light slammed into him from the sky.

"No…" he grunted. Jenny caught his train of thought and turned to him, her whole body beginning to shudder as adrenaline rushed through her.

"Jack, tell me you aren't thinking what I think you are." She asked when Helen spoke up, as she too realized the implication.

"But that would mean we are _in_ the game of Maplestory; that only happens in novels and anime." She said.

"What other explanation could there be?" Olsen asked, letting go of the child's hand to face his friends.

"Don't forget, we all saw Aran, and Stumpy attacked at the school. None of that happened where we are right now." Matthew pointing to Olsen and tilted his head to the side.

"Actually, Stumpy came from my house. He was the oak tree from our front yard." Matthew explained.

"So then, where are we?" Helen asked.

"That's easy. You're in Ossyria!" one of the children answered. The answer silenced all five of them until the children tugged on their hands to walk with them through the main road, shops, and ultimately to where all the people had set up the living sector.

"So Jack, what did you wake up to?" Jenny asked as the kids led them from one tent "house" to the next, showing the group their favorite items.

"I woke up in some hut where a Panda named Mr. Do was taking care of me. Where's my dad?" Jack asked. Matthew returned a stuffed rabbit to a child before answering.

"My mom, your dad, and Helen's folks are all being watched over in another part of the camp. They're still knocked out. We found out that a combination of coming here, wherever 'here' is, and hitting the ground knocked everyone out except Mr. Da'Lor, Ms. Price, Mr. Olman, Mrs. Waterman, and my dad." He explained when recognition came across his face.

"Wait, did you say 'Mr. Do'?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, why?"

"Was he wearing a blue Kimono with an Orange overcoat?" Matthew asked. Helen and Jenny raised their eyebrows in response, unsure of where he was leading the question.

"What are you getting at Matt?" Jack asked.

"Mr. Do was the medicine creator in Maplestory from Mu Lung. You know, the one that gives you a book of medicines?" Matthew explained. Helen lowered her brow, impulsively reaching for her phone until she remembered she had no service.

"Do you think that's connected to what we talked about a moment ago?" she asked, looking around and noticing their surroundings were uncannily familiar to an area of the game called Mu Lung. A gruff voice from behind them interrupted their thoughts.

"Yeh'd make a better door if ye be standin' in a buildin'. Iffin I could have yeh move I'd be thankful." All five of them jumped at the sound, turning to see a short man with a huge mustache, a hook for one hand, and peg leg that had been polished and worn. His hat was so low over his eyes that all one could see was his bulbous red nose. In his arms, he carried a crate full of what appeared to be bottles and corks.

Helen was about to ask questions when Carrie, dressed in an elegant red leather corset and snug fitting black short shorts, jogged up to them. A wide belt holstered a pistol on her hip, and black thigh high boots donned her feet. Completing her get-up was a fur-trimmed cape and a red 18th-century captain's hat.

"Jack, there you all are… I've been looking all over for you. All of you come with me; we need to talk." Jack raised his eyebrow, covering the eyes of the small child next to him.

"Uh… Mom? What's with the skimpy clothes? Are you trying to dress like Kyrin from Maplestory?" he asked. Matthew and Olsen swallowed hard as they looked away from her, trying to concentrate on something in the distance."Just follow me. It'll all make sense in a minute." She answered. Skeptically the five of them followed Carrie through the bushes and underbrush along a dirt path leading to the east. Olsen sped up his steps until he was level with Jenny, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Are you doing alright? I mean, from what happened while we were at the docks." He asked. Jenny shrugged.

"I'm still a little jumpy, but I think Helen got the worst of it. I've been sticking close to her as much as I can. She'll pull through though." She answered as another few minutes passed until they came to a dock. Around it stood four more people standing around a table made of a fallen tree, all of them vaguely appearing to be their parents.

Helen eyed her who she thought to be her grandfather wearing a tall white hat sporting a golden star, a white robe, and holding an old weathered staff in one hand. She had seen him while visiting her parents, May and Gregory, while they were still unconscious during the previous two days. However, he hadn't yet changed into the white attire he now wore. Matthew, Jack, Jenny, and Olsen still couldn't completely understand why their parent's change had been so drastic. Behind them, Aran walked up to the group, taking his place within the semi-circle in front of The Five.

"I'm sure that you all have many questions, and you've wanted to have them answered as quickly as possible. Your patience is appreciated so that we can talk to you all at one time and not repeat ourselves. I can see there is one question, in particular, you would like answered." Aran announced as he looked to all five of them, as if trying to read their emotions. Matthew stepped forward, taking a breath before speaking what had been on their minds.

"Where have you taken us?" he asked bluntly. Aran chuckled under his breath and smirked, thinking back to when he had first begun training under Minerva.

"With some help from your parents, these Five Masters of Ossyria, you have been transported from your world of Earth to the world of Ossyria." Olsen raised his brow, stepping forward so that he was beside Matthew.

"Do you mean like the main continent in the game, Maplestory? All of this is a computer game?" he asked. Aran looked to Athena for a moment who shook her head.

"No, Olsen. The world of Ossyria is no game. It is an actual world, where people live, work, and even die. I, and by extension, the Masters of Ossyria, welcome you back to your rightful home. You who will be the saviors of this world: The Guardians of Ossyria."


	31. G - Chapter 4: All, Your, Choices

Chapter 4: All's Past, Your Past, and Choices…

The only sound The Five could hear was the sound of the camp city in the distance as they took in the sight of their parents bowing to them as though they were royalty. After a couple of minutes passed, Jack was the first to break the odd silence.

"Look, I really like the royal treatment here, but this is so far over the top that it can't be real," He said, looking to Carrie as she looked up from her kneeling position. When she didn't respond, Jack pressed further, trying to break the supposed act.

"Does dad know how much all of this cost? I mean you might have paid for part of all of this, but this has to have maxed out your credit card," Jack pressed, but still, none of their parents were answering. Matthew finally walked over to him after a long silence.

"I don't think this is a fake, Jack. Olsen, Helen, Jenny, and I explored this whole area before you woke up. Trust me; it's all real. All of this is a real world." He said. Helen focused on Aran, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg.

"I can believe being taken to another world, perhaps even taken to another part of the globe seeing as we were all engulfed with a beam of light. Strange, yes, but explainable. But telling us we five are related to the class masters from a computer game is a stretch. Things like that don't exist," Helen said firmly. Jenny came up to her and stood just within Helen's peripheral vision.

"Why wouldn't it be? If it were real, it would explain all that weird stuff that happened at the dock." She said, hesitating as she finished her sentence. Helen clenched her jaw and pulled her arms tighter around her chest.

"Yes, Jenny. I am well aware of what happened at the dock." She answered, speaking each word intensely while remembering the distress forced onto her. Tina stood and came forward, holding out her hand to Jenny.

"If you let us, we can attempt to explain where we are and who you are meant to be," she answered. From behind her, the remaining four masters came forward and guided their children away from the dock in multiple directions. Olsen looked over his shoulder, watching as Jenny and Matthew were led back towards the camp city to the north. He felt a tap on his shoulder and was instructed by his father, Pierre, to follow him closely through the dense underbrush of the forest surrounding the dock. He had no idea of what was in store; but in the same breath, he was curious.

Jenny's choice

Tina led Jenny north through the main street of the camp city, and into the forest on the far end. As they weaved through the crowds, Jenny was wowed by how many people would stop the two of them and excitedly talk to Tina. Some would talk about what sounded to be bow techniques, while others would speak with awe. On the far side of the main street, Tina directed Jenny to a well-worn path leading to what appeared to be a target range for learning archers. Bent or broken arrows stuck out of both targets and trees a few yards away from them, reminding Jenny of the single target range in the Watermans' backyard. Jenny's thoughts were sharply interrupted when Tina placed an uncharacteristically heavy hand on her shoulder, stopping her mid-stride.

"Jenny; what is it you have seen since coming here?" Tina asked, letting go of Jenny's shoulder and walking to a split log bench where a large, silver and orange bow lay with a quiver of arrows next to it. Jenny thought for a moment, recalling everything she had seen in the previous day while waiting for Jack to wake up.

"Well, I've seen soldiers, pandas, strange short guys, all kinds of weird plants I didn't know even existed…"

"No, Jenny. That is not what I mean." Tina interrupted.

"What does this area look like to you? What does the presence of so many people gathered together as such appear to you as?" Tina asked, this time with an almost wistful quality to her voice. Jenny's brow waved from one side to the other, mentally taking note of the area and the things she had seen while being escorted by her entourage of children earlier in the day.

"It kinda reminds me of what Mu Lung would look like if it were real life. And all the people here make it look like this is some kind of refugee camp," Jenny answered. Her mother picked up the quiver, and put it around her shoulders, and picked up the bow.

"That is indeed the case, Jenny. All of these tents, this entire "city" is a refugee camp for the thousands of people who used to live on Victoria Island. A long time ago, I absorbed and wielded the power of the Emerald Crystal to keep the entire world of Ossyria safe and to stop the Black Wings from resurrecting their master, The Black Mage. But now that power has been passed to you, and it is why I have been teaching you Archery." Jenny looked to her hands, then took a seat on the nearest bench, unsure if her mother had suddenly lost her mind until she saw Tina walk to one of the lanes in front of a target.

"My name is not Tina Price; it is Athena Pierce. I am the Bow Master of Henesys on Victoria Island." Jenny still looked at her mother with deep apprehension, unsure whether or not to believe her. What was she trying to pull? She couldn't equate the mother, Tina, she had grown up with, to the mighty archer, Athena Pierce, that she claimed to be.

"Don't you trust me, Jenny?" Athena asked, shifting her grip on the bow. Jenny slapped her knees with her hands and stood up from the bench with a huff.

"You're telling me that you're supposed to be someone from a game, an NPC. I mean yeah, it sounds awesome, but like Jack said, it's just too over the top to be real," Jenny answered. Athena nodded and held her hand to the sky.

"Then let me prove it to you," Athena said with a devious grin as blue cloud swirled into existence on the palm of her hand where it became a fiery red mass. The cloud shot straight into the sky, piercing through the air and creating a portal into another dimension. A fiery Phoenix appeared from the portal, dull heat emanating from its body as it hovered in the air. With a lift of Athena's hand, the Phoenix locked its gaze onto a target. A blaze of hot flames roared from its wings, reducing the target to ashes and scorching the ground beneath.

The Phoenix then returned to its dimension through the same portal, which shrank out of existence. A green fern-like glow then lit up around Athena's eyes as she held up the silver and orange bow and drew its string. The same blue, cloud-like substance flared around her hands and began engulfing the bow, taking the form of a dragon's head where an arrow would be, and taking aim at another target. When she released the string, the blue cloud turned bright green and let out a roar. It obliterated the mark and leveled every tree in its path, charring the ground behind it.

Athena then pulled six arrows from her quiver and nocked all six, turning to face a third target. The same blue glow flared from her arms, engulfing the arrows as Athena drew the string of the bow. When she released, each of the six arrows became a bright white light, firing one at a time from the bow into the target. The light of the first arrow exploded, blasting a hole through the target, allowing the next five arrows to hit a tree behind it, making chunks of its trunk explode. Jenny was stunned as the realization began to cement in her mind. Her mother was the _actual_ Athena Pierce! The bow master from her favorite game! Now things were getting interesting. There were still hundreds of questions she needed to settle in her mind, but the evidence shown to her was enough for Jenny to at least _consider_ what was asked of her.

"Wow…" Jenny whispered, walking over to the targets and looking over the devastation. Athena walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder as if asking Jenny to turn around.

"Do you now believe in what I have told you, Jenny? I did not teach archery to you because it was an excellent physical exercise. You were born with that ability. Everything I have shown to you are abilities that you too will achieve. It will take much training, far more than you have been given while in Ohio; but you can be far greater than even I. So, are you able to stand and take up this bow, the Kandiva, and accept that _you_ are to defeat the Black Mage?" Athena asked, holding the Kandiva out to Jenny. Jenny tripped in awe, slowly wrapping her soft, non-calloused hands around the bow, feeling as though an ancient power was flowing through it. Athena slowly let Jenny take the weight and backed away proudly.

"This thing's heavier than it looks," Jenny commented, looking over the metal frame and pausing for a moment as her eyes caught a glint of the palm-sized gem set in the center of the bow. Jenny held it up and treid to draw it. As she pulled the string back, her arms began to shake and wobble until she was finally able to wrench the string back by a small distance.

"That is the weight of the future set before you. It will be some time before you are ready to use this bow, the Kandiva and its companion, the crossbow Nishada, properly; but with training, you will be a better bow master than even I." Athena said wistfully.

Olsen's Choice

Olsen followed Pierre southeast through the thick bushes and close-growing trees for what felt like ages, using the area as a makeshift parkour course that led to a quiet spot near the shore. When Olsen was sure their trek was finished, he put his hands on his knees and heaved for breath as the misty air of the area made it difficult to breathe. After a short rest, Pierre walked away from Olsen until he was a few feet from the edge of the water, standing in silence and listening to the water lapping on the rocky sand.

"Olsen, you still have not been training to keep your energy under control," Pierre said, pulling his hands behind his upper back. Once Olsen caught his breath, he straightened to his full height and squared his shoulders.

"Yes, I know," Olsen answered flatly. Pierre said nothing for a long while, standing with his back to Olsen until he dropped his arms and reached into a burlap bag hanging from his hip.

"Have you no excuses to offer?" Pierre asked, pulling something from the bag.

"No sir, I have none," Olsen answered in return.

"And why is that? Have I not taught you what needs to be done?" He asked, turning around to face Olsen while holding his hands behind him once again.

"Yes sir, you have."

"Then what is your excuse for still being unable to control your breathing? That jaunt through the woods was a short stroll compared to what will be asked of you." Pierre pressed, making Olsen chuckle.

"Is something funny, son?"

"You say that as if I am being groomed to be a hero in some video game."

"Does this world look like a game son? Do the soldiers returning from defending the borders of the Herb Town camp look like a game? Does the power that Jack unleashed when Helen was almost raped look like a game to you?" Pierre growled. Olsen clenched his jaw hard as the reminder that he was utterly useless was brought up again. He was there when Helen woke up two days ago, and his dad questioned her about her ordeal. But Olsen felt that his dad already knew what happened.

"You wield the power of the Pink Quartz Crystal within you, a power that I once wielded, and believe me, it is a power this world needs right now."

"Then take it back! What makes me special to be the only one to wield this power you're talking about?" Olsen sneered, clenching his fist tightly. Pierre let out a hard sigh, pulling his right arm from behind, sporting a partially armored glove. On top of the wrist and forearm were pointed plates that formed what appeared to be a maple leaf pointing to his elbow. On the center plates of the leaf and on the back of the hand were golf ball-sized green gems.

"I cannot. The power of the Quartz has become a part of your very soul. There is no taking it back. And as much as I loathe the thought, I am growing too old. My body is slowing down, and new pains of ancient wounds are beginning to exacerbate it. My time as Dark Lord Jin, Master Ninja of Kerning City, is coming to a close," Pierre said with an almost regretful tone.

"Dark Lord Jin? Dad, you are a private investigator. I don't think you need to worry too much about slowing down." Olsen answered. He faced his dad and realized that he saw that Pierre, for the first time in a very long time, looked old and tired.

"This world needs heroes, Son. With the Black Mage released from his seal, the people of Ossyria will need them now, more than ever. But my time has passed. You must take up that mantle."

"You are asking me to protect a world. I was unable to defend two of my friends from a group of thugs!" Olsen shouted, throwing up his arms.

"You can, and you _will_ protect everyone, once you have been trained to use your powers."

"What _powers,_ Dad? You're not making any sense," Olsen said, crossing his arms over his chest. Pierre closed his eyes as a blue haze appeared around his right hand and glove. The presence around him felt heavy, as if the air itself were responding to the respect he commanded.

"Then let me show you," Pierre said cryptically. Three throwing stars appeared in his hand, hurling them past Olsen's head, burying them into a tree behind him. Streaks of fire followed after the stars and burned the tree's trunk to a crisp. After the first throw, more blue haze engulfed another star that Pierre had drawn, making it grow to his height in size, while eerie green vapors rose from the metal.

With a grunt, he threw the enlarged star into the forest lining the beach, cutting through four trees. Olsen watched in awe before feeling a breeze rush past him, as his father caught the giant star which shrank back to normal, while the blue haze dispersed into the air. A moment later, Pierre stood by Olsen, holding the claw to him, blue vapors rising from the metal.

"I _am_ Dark Lord Jin, Ninja Master of Kerning City. Ahead of you are dangerous trials and tasks. What I have shown you is only a small taste of what you will be able to accomplish. However, you must endure training of a much higher caliber. You may even have to kill." Dark Lord said sternly. Olsen wasn't really sure he was ready to accept what he had seen or what he was told. Slowly, he took the heavy glove and slipped it on, struggling to keep his arm up until the weight of the glove tired his arm, making it hang beside him.

"I'm pretty sure I can do it," Olsen answered, hauling his right hand back up with the assistance of his left.

"We ninja do not have the luxury of being 'pretty sure,' Olsen. Remember that. With each shuriken, we throw, or each swing of a dagger we make, we must be sure in what those actions will do. Mistakes mean people can, and will, die. Memorize the weight of that claw, The Skanda; for in it, as well as the dagger, Dark Mate, lies the burden of your future and the future of everyone here in Ossyria."

Helen's Choice

Before leaving the circle, Glen lifted himself from the ground and levitated north toward the nearby forest, while Helen followed. He stopped in an area covered by matted leaves surrounded by shrubs. He remained still for a while, listening to the sound of the slight breeze rustling the leaves.

"Do you know what it is that you are being asked to do?" Glen asked, turning slightly to Helen. He spoke in a serious tone, a voice that she only heard when she was being scolded back in Ohio. Helen remained still, thoughts running through her head, trying to understand her surroundings. The thankful, friendly nature of everyone living in the camp and Aran's words weighed on her mind ever since she woke up here. It was all too much to lay on a person all at once. Glen fully faced her, holding his staff forward.

"You were born with the power of a great mage in you, far more powerful than I could ever be…"

"Stop! Just stop it! I'm not this savior you think I am. I just want to go home." Helen interrupted.

"Helen, you are home. This is where your bloodline comes from. This is where _I_ am from, and you are the last hope for this world. You have a power no other in this world, or any other, can ever wield. Do you think that I would make this up?"

"I don't know! Are you making it up? Everything about my life for 18 years was normal. Then there's a beam of light at our school, Jack goes all weird glowing status on us, and we've been whisked away to some weird place that you say is our home?! The highest stakes I've had to deal with were failing a test! If I'm supposed to be some great hero, where were my powers when that monster nearly raped me?!" Helen angrily screamed. Glen lowered his staff and walked to her, pulling her into a tight hug as she began letting out great tears into his chest.

"I'm sorry something so terrible happened to you. But you are far stronger than you realize. You may have this ghost haunting you, but Ossyria, my home and yours, needs you. Turn to those closest to you and let them be your strength when yours fails you." Glen softly said, holding Helen for a long while until her tears slowly dissipated. Pulling away from him, she wiped her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry, grandpa, but I'm not who you think I am. If I can't even fight off one ordinary man, how am I supposed to defeat The Black Mage?" she asked, beginning to turn away.

"Helen, you are one of five Guardians destined to defeat the Black Mage. You are my granddaughter, a descendant of Grendal the Ancient, Master Magus of Ellinia. I will teach you everything you need to know, and you will become a mage far more powerful than I could ever be with the Amethyst Crystal's power, which you now carry." Helen stopped mid-stride, rage burning in her chest. Her ears felt hot as she turned around with a new bout of tears stinging her eyes.

"If you hadn't come to my world in the first place none of this would have happened to me! Magic only exists in movies and fantasy novels. I'm not going to stand here and have you make an idiot out of me because you want me to be some sort of 'world savior'. I'm an 18-year-old senior in high school student who has a promising career in English literature!" Frustrated tears began to fall down her cheeks as she spoke.

"If you think that you can just lay this huge weight on my shoulders, you're dead wrong! You can keep your fairy tales and wizardry to yourself!"

"Helen, will you listen to what I have to say?" Grendal asked, holding a hand out to her.

"No, just…" With tears streaming down her face, Helen ran off into the forest, running as fast as her legs could carry her to whatever direction that would get her out of this place and back to her home, her _real_ home. She ran through the main street, bumping shoulders with people there. Helen ran from her grandfather, ran from her pain, ran away from it all. When she finally stopped, she was on a secluded dock where bamboo boats were bobbing and bumping against each other.

"I just want to go home…" she said as she knelt down and hugged herself, feeling cold from the thick mist that hung in the air.

Jack's Choice

Staying south of the main street on the beach, Jack and Carrie walked west as they watched Jenny, Ms. Price, Matthew, and Mr. Drake melt into the crowds filling the main road. As they neared a rather spacious area near the main docks, a few people gathered at the end of the main street to watch, making Jack feel nervous. Though, disappointingly they were coming to see Carrie. He laughed to himself, thinking about what Mark, his dad, would say if he were awake and around to see the dozen or so guys watching his mom's every move.

"I'm guessing you're bit confused about what happened to you back at the docks in Ohio, right?" Carrie asked. Jack blinked a shook his head, waking himself from his train of thought.

"Sorry ma, what did you say?" he asked.

"Do you remember what happened at the docks in Ohio?" Carrie asked again, smirking as she turned around to face him and crossed her arms at her waist. Jack looked up to the sky for a moment, finally nodding as the fuzzy memory came to him in bits and pieces, but unable to make sense of any of them.

"All I can remember is feeling something come over me. It was like this, warm blanket. It almost felt like I blacked out. But that was almost three days ago apparently. Why are you bringing it up now?" Carrie nodded and smiled, pulling her fur-trimmed cape from her shoulders and tossing it onto a large boulder jutting out of the coarse sand, one of a few surrounding them.

"You do know there are a _TON_ of guys watching you right? I know this is going to sound totally out of line, you look a little like a… call girl," Jack said, taken aback once Carrie had tossed aside her cloak and revealed her tight-fitting clothes. Carrie laughed. Murihat and Black Bart had said the same thing when she first dressed this way.

"It's alright. To tell you the truth, my father Black Bart would rather see me in a dress. I don't mind a dress every now and then, but my abilities require freer movement rather than coverage; this suits me better." She answered, motioning over her body and to the clothes she wore.

"But back to what happened at the docks. That was the power of the Ruby Cyrstal, a powerful relic from a long time ago. I've been teaching you what I know as a brawler so that you would have the fortitude to keep its power in check. Seems like you weren't ready for it, and I don't think you ever would have been if we stayed in Ohio."

"Wait, what?!" Jack questioned, raising one of his eyebrows high enough that he unknowingly tilted his head.

"That feeling was the power of the Ruby Crystal I used to carry. It overwhelmed to the point that it took over, tapping into its memory of my using it and responding to your desire to keep Helen and Jenny safe."

"Alright, I'm lost." Jack laughed, throwing up his hands. Carrie took a breath and tossed aside her hat to reveal a bright red bandana tying back her hair. From under her belt, she pulled a pair of gloves with a plate over the hand that resembled a maple leaf edged with gold. Carrie clenched her fist after slipping on the glove making two blades shoot out from under the leaf. Once she had fully latched the gloves to her hands, a blue glow surrounded her arms and hands. In a blur of speed, Carrie appeared at a boulder, as sand blew into the air along her track. In less than a second, she reduced the majority of the rock to pebbles with powerful punches, the blades of the knucklers sparking each blow. Carrie then backflipped, breaking the last bit of rock away with a kick.

Sand swirled into the air as Carrie lept high into the air, spinning parallel to the ground until landed hard, driving her blue flaming punch into the sand, forming a crater. She quickly stood and slammed her fists into one another. Golden light flared around her as she jumped high into the air, the golden glow becoming a dragon's head and neck; and as she descended, the light plunged below the surface. Afterward, dragon heads began to appear around them, immediately launching the remaining boulders into the air. Jack watched in awe each of the stones were wrenched from the ground. Carrie then reached to her hip and drew her pistol, pointing to each of the five rocks and cocking back the hammer. The gun glowed with the same blue flames, and a blast thundered from the barrel, making the boulders scatter into pebbles. The people standing on the outskirts of the main street all began running for cover.

When Jack was sure no more stones were falling, he slowly turned back to where Carrie stood. In the middle of a crater, Carrie appeared to be made of golden light. Her eyes were ablaze in white while her hair stood up above her head, with only her bangs hanging around her face. She walked over to Jack, holding out her hand as an orb of the energy surrounding her appeared in her palm, making his skin itch with static.

"I am Kyrin, Master of the Pirates and Captain of the Nautilus." She said, her voice sounding almost as if it were an ethereal apparition speaking when the glow stopped, returning her to normal. Jack was awestruck, and his skin crawled with adrenalin; he had built a character in Maplestory to a very high level, so he knew what a lot of the abilities looked like in the game. But now he was facing his mother, the master of the Pirate class, and had just witnessed what those attacks looked like in real life!

"I get it now. The reason I knew what to do with those guns, why I punched those guys out; it was because…"

"Yes, Jack; the blood of a pirate runs through your veins. Had you known other skills, you might have killed them or yourself. You have a power that makes me look weak. The training I gave you in Ohio was child's play compared to what I will teach you to save our world. But I know that you can do it." She said, taking the pistol from her hip and laying it in Jacks' hands, still warm from the shots that she had fired.

"This Cannon Shooter is yours to wield, as are these Knucklers, the Golden Claw, once you have been trained and are ready. It'll be a while, but I have faith in you son." Jack looked over the pistol. Despite its small size, it was deceivingly heavy. He tried holding it up to look down the sights, but even when using both hands, he still had some trouble keeping it up. When he let it lay in his hands again, he felt an ancient power flowing within it, making his hands and arms tingle.

"I'll do it." He said with a firm look in his eyes, pulling his lips to the side in a sly grin. The thought of becoming a ripped brawler excited him, and that was in addition to the attention he would get for being this 'guardian' everyone called him.

Matthew's Choice

Matthew's thoughts were a whirl of trying to make sense of what he had seen over the last couple of days. So many people revered him as someone that, until recently, he was utterly unaware of. Yes, it was flattering, but to have all of this hit him at once was overwhelming.

"So, this is what Maple World really looks like huh?" Matthew asked as he and John walked up the main road for a short while before turning to the forest that surrounded it, stopping in a small clearing. John slowly turned around, then set a heavy hand on Matt's shoulder.

"This is not Maple World. This Is Ossyria. The game Maplestory may have made you _familiar_ with the evils of this world, but the evils that _exist_ in this world are far more dangerous than words can describe. For this reason, I have taught you the basics of wielding a sword so that one day, you and your friends will defeat the Black Mage for good." John said, walking to a nearby tree where a massive sword was propped against the trunk. As he gripped the handle, bright blue vein-like branches appeared down the blade. It screamed with the sound of a marble on glass, allowing him to pick it up with ease. A golden light gathered at the guard, blowing outwards as he pointing the relic sword to the skies.

Thick ribbons of frost, flames, lime-green lighting, and golden light tore into existence around the finely honed blade as the threads of lightning arced from the guard to the tip. As John swung the majestic blade, all four elements slid from the blade, hitting four different trees. One was burnt to ashes, the second was frozen solid, the third looked as though it had become sacred, and the fourth's trunk exploded.

John then drove the point of the sword into the ground and folded his hands as though praying. Above him shone a light shaped like a spell circle. A young woman appeared from the circle, placing her hands on John's shoulders. Threads of lavender light then swirled from his body onto the ground in the shape of another spell circle, where a dragon's head formed in the center.

Matthew was neither prepared for, nor expecting the deafening roar that came from the circle, knocking him down and blowing him across the ground. The soundwave ripped through the trees, tearing leaves from their branches, leaving them nearly bare. Once again, John lifted the sword to the skies as a blue cloud curled around the blade into the air above it. He grunted loudly as he swung the sword down. Before the blade hit the ground, the cloud transformed into a giant gold hammer that hit the ground with a tremendous force, making it shudder for well over 20 seconds after impact. Once the tremors had subsided, Matthew got back to his feet and brushed the leaves from his shirt. John came and stood before Matthew, setting the tip of the sword firmly into the ground at the boy's feet

"I am Dances with Balrog of Perion. I am the Master Warrior of this world. Are you willing to take the task we _all_ ask you to complete? I beg you son, please help us. Within you lies a power that will make even my abilities look small." Dances said, letting go of the handle, allowing the sword to stand before his son. As Matthew reached to the handle, he felt something strange surge through his arms, as if it were searching for something. He pulled the sword towards him, straining as he tried to catch the weight of the sword to prevent it from slamming into the ground.

"That is the weight of the Soul Rohen, the weight of the future set before you. It will be many moons before you are ready to wield this or its companion, the Glory Sword. But given time and rigorous training, you will." Matthew looked to Dances and then back at the sword resting in his hands. There was no way he would be some great war hero. The immense task his father asked of him weighed on his mind. Disgusted, Matthew let the sword fall to the ground with a loud clang that sounded as if the blade were crying.

"You're saying that I'm supposed to be some hero that will save the world. I'm not buying it. That thing is so heavy that I can't even lift it up with both of my hands. I froze when we were confronted with four normal humans, and you expect me to save the world?! I couldn't even keep Helen from getting assaulted; Jack did that!"

"But son…"

"No! Have you forgotten that I am just a kid in high school?" Matthew walked away before Dances had a chance to speak to him. How could his dad think that Matthew was this formidable warrior? And where the _hell_ did he get those abilities of his? Were they just some kind of illusion? Angrily, Matthew walked on with questions mounting in his head, not noticing that he was walking to the end of a dock until Helen caught him by the arm and stopped him before he stepped off.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" Helen asked. Matthew sighed heavily and stepped back a bit; He stood on the edge of the dock and scanned over the foggy surface of the water.

"I guess your dad told you that you're the savior of this world too, huh?" Helen asked timidly. Matthew shook his head in disbelief.

"What gives them the right to put this on us, on _me_? I had a normal life, one that I was proud to call my own. And now we've been taken to some other world where we're this 'last hope' against _the_ Black Mage! Power like that you can't just defeat."

"I'm no better. I couldn't even fight off one guy," Helen added meekly. Matthew closed his eyes as a hollow feeling settling into his chest. He knew she hadn't fully recovered, and maybe she never would. It weighed on him that he didn't do a damn thing to help Helen when she needed it the most.

"So, you don't believe in who your parents or relatives are?" asked Aran, slowly walking onto the dock. Helen turned to him with a furrowed brow and shook her head.

"No, I don't. We aren't who you think we are," Helen shot back, putting a hand to her chest and motioning to Matthew. Aran looked as though he was hurt by her words and took a breath.

"Come… there is something that you both should hear before making up your mind." He said. Matthew huffed as he angrily followed Aran, followed by a downtrodden Helen. Aran led them across the main road to a small area that appeared to be a council circle with a campfire in the center. When Matthew and Helen saw their families sitting around it, their anger was rekindled. Dark Lord, Olsen, Jenny, Athena, Jack, and Kyrin all sat comfortably on fallen logs. Mark, Yasmin, Greg, and May had awoken and sat within the circle as well. Matthew sat across from his parents while Helen sat next to him, mostly to stay away Grendal, who sat on the other side of the ring with Greg and May. Aran stepped into the center of the circle, setting down his Halberd and began.

"Many centuries ago, the ones that created the world of Ossyria were not always so. Minerva The Gentle's father, D'Gran, was a wealthy human merchant. Her mother, Candala, was a fairy who used to be an attendant to the Queen of Fairies, Una. Their relationship was considered taboo, and so D'Gran helped Candala flee her home of Elphame. The two of them settled in the small mining town of Millvale where Minerva was born with pure white wings on her back. From a young age, Minerva read ravenously, often visiting the library to read any texts and tomes she could find, especially those with a focus on magic. D'Gran often urged Minerva to be a merchant, and while she did excel at the trade, she often dreamed of doing more.

"Not long after Minerva was born, Corus Braun was born into a hardworking smithing family. In his teens, he took to working with his father as an apprentice blacksmith. When metalworking was slow, Corus would work on leather with his mother. When neither of the parents needed his help, he would stray to the library, reading texts, tomes, and ancient scrolls that depicted swordplay forms. Some days he would take a practice sword he made and repeat the stances he had seen, dreaming of one day becoming a squire, or even a knight.

"This thirst for knowledge led to Minerva and Corus meeting within the quiet halls of the library, becoming fast friends over their shared desire for knowledge. Together, they taught one another what they had learned and soon had memorized every book covering Magic, Fighting, and languages. With the reluctant blessing of their parents, the two of them set out to study abroad, furthering their knowledge and power. Eventually, Minerva and Corus gained enough strength to travel into different dimensions, increasing their vast knowledge exponentially. During their travels, they learned of Black Magic; a power capable of toppling deities but at the expense of the user's soul. Together, they vowed never to use such power.

"Their dimensional travels led them to many strange places, knowledge, and dangers, making their rooted friendship blossom into a deep love for one another. As they traveled the dimensions, they stumbled upon one that appeared to be devoid of life. It was a blank slate, filled with tumultuous seas haunted by funnel clouds and violent windstorms of raw power. Tachyons whipped through the air without purpose, caught in the winds. This place could be formed as they desired, so they decided to create a world of their own with the thousands upon thousands of spells they had learned. As they prepared to leave, Minerva spotted a single white building floating high above them in the inky blackness.

"Grabbing Corus' hand, Minerva spread her massive wings and flew up to the building. As they neared, they could see a woman standing at the railing of the building watching them. The woman introduced herself and the Goddess and Transcendent of Time of the world Olde Sapp, Rhinne. With her help, Corus and Minerva began to remake the world. First, Corus gathered the power permeating the air into five crystals: The Emerald Crystal, the Ruby Crystal, the Pink Quartz, the Amethyst Crystal, and the Dark Crystal. In gathering this mass of power, the sea was calmed, and the dangerous windstorms were silenced. Rhinne gathered the free-floating tachyons within a capsule at the Temple of Time, the building Minerva had seen.

"With the storms gone, Minerva and Rhinne formed a massive continent in the depths of the endless oceans they named Ossyria, which Corus then raised. Using the newly formed crystals, a vast forest on the northernmost region of the continent was created that Minerva named Perion and decorated it with flowers and exotic plants. On the eastern side, Corus created a massive pit of what he called Mithril Crystal, a substance adept in channeling magical power to aid them. Just west of that pit, Corus created the winter wonderland of El Nath. On the South-Eastern corner, Minerva planted a huge medicinal herb garden.

"In the very center of the continent, Minerva created the city of Ludibrium; a town made of interlocking building blocks and ruled by toys. Here, the capsule stored within the Temple of Time was placed and used to warp time around it. This was to isolate and preserve the innocence of childhood allowing toys to be created for the children that would be born in this world. To the far north, Corus created another landmass with intentions of having people live there one day but decided against it. Though he did tend the acres of exotic fruit trees he had planted there. With the world anchored, Corus and Minerva created one more city. It floated high above El Nath on clouds and served as a city and palace for both Minerva and Corus. They called it Orbis.

To the far west, Corus created the Minar Forest. In the center of this forest, Minerva created a pocket dimension and planted the World Maple Tree, the direct link into the Life Stream that would allow this world to remain alive. As this tree was planted, the Spirit of Life, and the Spirit of Light appeared to them. Both spirits told of how this world needed Transcendents: a steward and defender of the world within the bounds of the aspect of reality that has chosen them. Corus was chosen by the Spirit of Light, however the Spirit of Life simply said there was no one present that he could choose. Corus promised that there would be others he could call on once the world was complete which the spirit agreed to.

"Corus then filled the world with animals and creatures of all kinds using the power of the crystals, some familiar, some from pure imagination. Among these creatures were Pandas, a few of which Corus gave sentience and charged them with watching over herb garden called Mu Lung. Minerva then created short fuzzy creatures called Halfrings to guard the Maple World Tree's pocket entrence. Minerva then created fairies; magical attendants of the forests led by their queen, Ephania. Minerva then created those that would serve their queen. The Papilio sported wings of butterflies to guard Ephenia and the woods. The Nymphs lived within Orbis and flew on great feathered wings, much like Minerva. They prepared magical powders and salves to enrich the soil. And finally, the Sylphs were entrusted with keeping all of Minerva and Corus' knowledge of magic in a library deep within the forests called Ellin, just south of Perion.

"Now that most of the world was complete, Minerva and Corus returned to their home dimension and village where they were married. As a wedding gift, Minerva's father, D'Gran, gave them a crystal shard called the Rubian, the only remaining shard of something called the Antelleon and would grant its users immense power. Corus and Minerva had heard of the crystal in their studies and its ability to focus magic. However, they also remembered ruinous tales of those that had used it. The two of them happily accepted it, though between them agreeing that it would be locked away somewhere safe once they had returned to Ossyria.

"As they prepared to embark onto the new world, many young people went with them, including Minerva's younger sister, Windharp. They were eager face the dangers, trials, and triumphs that awaited them. Within weeks, the young people that had come set up a small farming village within the forests of Perion and decided to call themselves the Sharenian. The people crowned a 'king' to act as their leader, who often sought out Minerva or Corus for advice in developing a system of government, yet still recognized the two of them as their supreme leaders. Minerva and Corus too found their family growing as within a year, Minerva gave birth to twins, a girl named Enia, and a boy named Shar, named in honor of the people within Perion. Of these people, the Spirit of Life chose a girl by the name of Alice Teasdale to be his Transcendent.

"With more and more people being born, the small village became a vast metropolis with a magnificent palace having been hewn into the mountains. So many people lived here that some of them moved away from it and into other parts of Ossyria such as El Nath, Mu Lung, a vast desert area left unfinished in the world's creation, and the forests surrounding Ellin to the south east of the Victoria province. Within these forests, pompous, human-like people called Elves.

Minerva and Corus both came to meet these Elves who instantly bowed to them calling Lord Freyr and Lady Freya. Using this mistaken Identity, they learned that these elves had come from a realm called Alfheim when a ritual spell failed. Neither Minerva nor Corus had ever visited a realm of Elves, nor did the Elves know how to return without using something called The Bifrost.

To help these newcomers, Minerva helped them build a new city deep within the Ellin Forest called Ellul, defended by a few new creatures created by Corus. He sensed that these Elves would resist any attempt to live peacefully with humans. And so led the humans settling in the forest towards the Secret Library. Here, the town of Ellinia was established, some distance away from where the elves were.

"In wanting to help the traveling humans survive, Minerva created a stone building south of Perion in the Henesys Plains. Here, Minerva, Corus, and even Rhinne would sometimes teach magic to any person willing to learn. It was not merely for defense, but also to assist in living in their unfamiliar surroundings.

"Within a few decades, those that had initially come to Ossyria passed away, including Shar and Enia, and a new king of the Sharenian was crowned. Those that remained, while still personally friendly with Ossyria's creators, began to elevate them both into godhood for their state for being seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. Corus and Minerva were at first flattered but firmly reminded everyone they could that Rhinne was the true goddess of Ossyria. Unfortunately, as the years passed, this elevation of Minerva and Corus became more and more prominent and increasingly challenging to dissuade.

"Temples and shrines began appearing within each city and village across Ossyria dedicated to Minerva, Corus, Rhinne, or all three. The biggest and most prominent of these was where Minerva used to teach magic, which was converted into a grand sanctuary guarded by stone golems. With no sign of their dissuasion taking root, Corus and Minerva gave up and accepted the role placed upon them. But this made them feel even further separated from the people.

"Four hundred years passed; Kings and Queens of Sharenian rose and fell as the empire continued to spread, reaching to the pit of Mithril Crystal Corus had made so long ago. High above even Orbis, Rhinne watched and often visited Minerva and Corus. The memories of how Olde Sapp destroyed itself haunted her mind, especially when the people discovered the Mithril crystal and began to create machines and devices to enhance their magical powers.

The world couldn't be destroyed again thanks to the Pillars of Time; powerful relics made by Rhinne herself. Memories of the people of Olde Sapp creating similar things, prompting Rhinne to warn Minerva and Corus of the similarities. Corus volunteered to mingle among the people and discourage the creation of these machines. But despite Corus' efforts, the people's voracious appetite for power only became worse.

"When King Sharen III came to power, he learned of the Rubian and began to search for it in earnest. Minerva moved the gem from its hiding spots many times when they came too close to finding it, afraid of what it might do to the king, but eventually, the people found it. It was brought to the palace in Perion, where it was placed in a machine under the castle. The machine began to drain the land of its life and was absorbed by Sharen, who was unwilling to accept that he would one day die and lose his throne. As this happened, Corus would often disappear or tend a fatally injured man having come to them from a portal in the middle of the night. Minerva herself called for and led an army to take back the gem from Sharen. But her forces were met with Sharen's own regiment of Skeletons and General, a man dressed in black with a skull mask.

"The battle was ultimately won, but it was revealed that Corus was the man in black, using what the two of them promised never to use: Black Magic. His use of it changed Corus in many ways, its effects also turned one of Minerva's wings into a sleek bat's wing. With no sure way of reversing what had happened to Corus, Minerva sealed him away within a mountain deep within the Minar Forest. Without the Rubian, the Life Energy stolen by Sharen overpowered him and turned him into a living tree we call The Stump King. He became a legend within Perion, only even seen on the highest desert peaks.

"After Sharen's fall, Minerva attempted to lead the people as their queen, but the distance the people had created by elevating her to a goddess made it impossible. And so, Minerva decided that she would fulfill the role of a goddess, watching and protecting her world from afar. To ensure the people would have a proper leader, she searched for the newest child coming from the lineage of either her son Shar or daughter Enia. Unfortunately, Shar's bloodline had died out, leaving a boy by the name of Tarquin from the bloodline of Enia. This boy became the first Emperor of Ossyria, chosen by Minerva herself.

"To secure Ossyria's leadership, Minerva created the Island of Ereve, a new Palace for the Emperor of Ossyria. To protect the island and the Emperor, she called upon the dragon deity Quetzalcoatl from the Realm of Dragons she had heard of in her dimensional travels. Together they created a formidable yet gentle guardian: The Feather Dragon, Shinsoo. With the leadership of Ossyria secure, Minerva pulled away from the world, watching and protecting together with Rhinne. However, Minerva's attention was drawn to the landmass Corus created so long ago, finding many dragons who had escaped from the Realm of Dragons because of a massive civil war. Among them were the Dragonesses Ukitaan and Saia. Ukitaan would go on to become the mother of the Nova; Half dragon, half human warriors. With help from both Rhinne and Minerva, Saia honed her powers as The Nine Spirits Dragon.

300 years passed in peace until of the empresses forged a bond between herself and Shinsoo, declaring that the binding would be done for all rulers as a symbol of leadership. Minerva had almost forgotten what had become of Corus until rumors began spreading of a man wielding dark power deep within the Nihal Desert.

"With each year that passed, the rumors became more frequent and more disturbing. Minerva and the empress ruling at the time, Aria, both searched for clues as to who the man could be. Each lead only produced more questions. Adding to the worry, an organization calling itself the Black Wings began to rise. It members claiming to be followers of a man calling himself The Black Mage. When some of the Black Wings were captured, the only information gathered stated The Black Mage would destroy the world and remake it.

"Minerva sent out a call to all Ossyria as its goddess. She asked that any willing person be the vanguard against the Black Mage and his forces to prevent Ossyria's destruction. Five answered the call, myself included. The biggest surprise of all was that the Elf Queen Mercedes herself answered Minerva's call. The Elves still held a rather high disdain for humans even after so many years had passed. All five of us were trained by Minerva and became The Heroes of Ossyria.

"Despite our training, however, we were ultimately unprepared when The Mage attacked in full force. The Black Wings and it Generals attacked all of Ossyria at once, while The Mage and a select few attacked the Temple of Time." Taking a moment to breathe, Aran looked over to Athena, memories of seeing her as a late teenager. Once he had a drink of water, he continued with his tale.

"Athena here was the first to begin evacuating the people living within the Minar Forest to the north, The Victoria Province, the same province where the Sharenian capital of Perion was located. When Minerva learned of Athena's efforts, she assisted in gathering everyone into the region, then separated it from the continent. Minerva tried to contact Rhinne for assistance with the separation, but all her calls went unanswered. Using all her strength, Minerva sent the province drifting on the waters, far away from The Minar Forest and the Black Mage with we Heroes to ensure the people's safety. Once she was sure it was out of The Mage's reach, she scattered the Five Crystals across Ossyria. She was about to hurl the Rubian in a random direction when we saw The Mage run Minerva through, using a sword made of his dark power.

"We hereos returned to the mainland to find any remaining refugees, but mostly to find Minerva. Instead, we found four people telling us they were unable to save Minerva, but that she left a message saying that The Mage was Corus after Rhinne's power. To what end was still unknown. When we asked them about the Rubian, they said that there was no such gem with Minerva. We could only assume that The Mage had taken the Rubian and went to face him in the Temple of Time. It seemed we were able to stop before he was able to take Rhinne's power.

However, outright killing him was beyond our ability. Instead, we sealed him away. For some odd reason, our seal put him in the very center of Victoria Island, the same Island we were trying to protect. But, The Mage cast one final curse, sealing us within ice. Only recently was I found by my wife Lilin, who helped me regain my strength." Aran glanced towards Athena and nodded, cueing her to stand and take his place in telling the tale. Looking around at the people gathered, she knew there was so much more to say to them. In time, when it was needed, it would be revealed. Nodding to Aran one more time, Athena let her mind drift back into the past.

"Once the Black Mage's defeat was assured, The Black Wings became near extinct. Any trace of them appeared to be erased. One of the Black Wing's generals had assassinated the Empress Aria, and there were still unknown dangers within Victoria left over from the days of Sharen III. Chief among them was the Fairy Queen, Ephania, whose mind had been poisoned into believing that all humans were evil. She and the Papilio spread thick clouds of poison throughout the Ellin Forest. Had it not been for the help and five young people coming to our aid from seemingly nowhere, we would have never survived. She remains sealed within that forest to this day.

"With careful planning, we managed to make a living for ourselves on Victoria, spreading to all corners of the island and beyond. It would be another six hundred years before I met Dances with Balrog, Grendal the Ancient, Dark Lord Jin, and Captain Kyrin." For a moment, Athena paused, her gaze lingering on Kyrin for a while, nostalgia and a bit of sadness in her eyes. Shaking her head, Athena centered herself and continued.

"Together, we faced many ferocious creatures who attempted to rule or destroy Ossyria in the Black Mage's absence. To aid us, we found the Five Crystals and absorbed their power. We were graced with the assistance of a Gunslinger named Jett and two warriors from a race known as the Nova for a time. With each creature we defeated, rumors and sightings of The Black Wings began to surface. It was slow at first but gained momentum and validity with each passing day. The newly crowned Empress Cygnus's soldiers captured one of them, interrogating him thoroughly.

"This disciple revealed that The Black Mage _would_ return from his sealed slumber and that the interim leader if the Wings, Eleanor, was in search of the Five Crystals for her master, The Black Mage. When this was revealed to us, I explained to the other masters about what the crystals were and how they were used from stories and legends. We decided then that removing them from the world would be the best option. We entrusted the Dark Crystal to Cygnus and her Chief Knights to hide it, while we took the power of the other for crystals into another world to protect them. Grendal, in his meticulous research, found that the crystals' powers would diminish over time if they were not used. In many ways, their energy could almost be considered alive. For this reason, we intended to come to Earth to both Hide the crystals and hopefully make them dissipate out of existence.

"Eleanor came close to stopping our leaving this world when she and a massive force of Black Wings descended on Ereve. We barely escaped the attack, going through a portal Grendal had made using magic he found in the Ellin Forest. Unfortunately, his understanding of the magic separated him from the rest of us through time. But by using a small bit of Magic and the power of the Amethyst Crystal, he managed to reverse his aging and remained alive long enough to find us again after one hundred years.

"Now in a new world, Grendal taught us as much as he could so that we would be able to at least function. However, when it came time to decide how to tell you, our children, of where you came from, we all realized that would be much harder. The powers and magic that exist in Ossyria are nothing but fantasy in that world. It was then we discovered a gaming company seeking a story to pair with their game, and so we told them our story. That game was Maplestory. And now, the Black Mage has risen. He still seeks the crystal's power, the same that resides within you. But without continued use, their power has faded considerably. If the Ruby Crystal within Jack had been at its full strength, it would have torn his body apart." Matthew stood from his seat and walked closer to the fire, throwing his arm to the side and leaning into his step.

"Then why would you bring us back here? If the crystals are the thing The Black Mage is after, why not stay back in Ohio?" he asked. Athena sighed, staring down into the fire, realizing how cool it had become as evening set in.

"Bringing you back is the only way we have to stop The Black Mage. Ossyria can muster enough strength to possibly end the Black Wings, but The Mage himself is another matter entirely. Don't forget that it took everything the five Heroes of Ossyria had to merely seal him. That seal was lost to time when Freud died, and The Mage will not stop until he sees Ossyria in ashes. You five, the Guardians of Ossyria, were born with the crystal's power within you. It is a part of you. We masters have aged, and can no longer control the crystals. So please, will you five help us to stop the Black Mage once and for all?" Athena finished. Matthew once again took his seat, while everyone sat in silence. It was a long and sad history of this world. Helen's thoughts were interrupted when she felt a small hand grasp hers. The child's wide eyes made Helen feel guilty for refusing to help this world.

"You're gonna stop that bad man, aren't you?" she asked. Helen bit her lower lip and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. Looking at Matthew, he too had an unsure look on his face before huffing leaving the circle. Helen walked back to the secluded dock with him and looked out to the warm colored sunset.

"What are we going to do now?" Helen asked.

"I don't know. That story is just so close to the game's storyline that I'm not sure if I believe them. Some of what they said doesn't even exist within the game. I still don't think I'd be able to accept being one of this world's saviors. I want to help, but I don't think I have what it takes."

"You must accept it." said a female voice. Helen and Matthew jumped, turning to see who it was that spoke. Sitting on the dock was a young woman with long white hair and light blue eyes, while a halberd similar to Aran's lay beside her. Hugging her chest was a green vest held with leather laces and didn't completely close in the front. Tassets hung low around her hips, while decorative metal crest held the two sides together just above her leather pants. A knee-length half skirt was tucked under the tassets, with armored stockings held up by clips made of chainmail.

"And who are you?" Matthew asked. The girl turned to him and stared as if looking through him.

"My name is Lillianne. I am the daughter of Aran and Lilin, who married once my father regained all of his memories and strength. I was born 2 years after your parents left this world for yours." She answered shortly before turning her studying gaze to Helen.

"So, what is your opinion in all of this?" Helen asked with a chill in her voice. Lillianne turned back to the sunset and pulled one of her lean legs up to her chest.

"In all honesty, I am disappointed in you two. You're supposed to be this world's last hope, the Guardians, and yet you won't even consider helping us?" Matthew clenched his fist hard.

"Guardians this, savior that! I've heard those terms so many times that I'm getting sick of it!" Matthew roared. Lillianne shook her head slowly, thinking for a moment before speaking.

"There was a prophecy given to the Heroes before separating Victoria. Minerva visited a woman known as Carta the Sea Witch, who was known for being able to see the future. It says:

'Those that lead the weak shall leave for a time, to protect and hide the Ancient Powers forged by gentle goddess. Five children shall be the sword to cut evil asunder and deal a mighty blow. But they that led the weak must be vigilant, so when the time is near, those blessed with the power will show itself as a sign that the final battle is nearing fruition.'" Matthew and Helen both sighed heavily, upset they had such a heavy weight dropped onto their shoulders. Life in Ohio was so much more straightforward, even if they felt like they were meant for something greater while they were there.

"Then tell me this: If you were yanked from the place you had known all your life, then thrown into a world you had no knowledge of, asking you to stop their most powerful adversary because you're their 'last hope', would you just accept it?" asked Helen.

"Of course, I would." She answered.

"Even if something happened that made you seriously doubt that you were up to the task?" Matthew pressed. Again, Lillianne nodded, looking to him as he threw his hands up and walked in a circle.

"Yes, Of course, _you_ would. Because your father is the oldest warrior in this entire world, who trained you to be what you are." He answered sarcastically.

"Isn't that what your parents did?" Lillianne asked in return. Helen and Matthew stayed silent for a while as they thought back over the 18 years of 'normal' life they had lived.

"We were given, 'basic' training," Helen answered. Lillianne chuckled to herself, turning away quickly and burying her cheeks in the crook of her arm when she caught a glimpse of Matthew.

"I'm in no position to tell you what to do, but please help us. Enough life has been lost because of this monster. Help us by stopping him once and for all." Lillianne got up and walked away into the heavy mist that settled over the village, leaving the two of them with their thoughts, hoping that they would accept. Once she lost sight of them, Lillianne took a breath and calmed herself, unexpectedly feeling attracted to Matthew. It brought a smile to her face, but silently she scolded herself.

" _Remember Lillianne, they are the promised ones; don't get your hopes up just yet._ "

* * *

The Mage gritted his teeth and then relaxed as he thought of the one thing that would be the downfall of those warriors. Eleanor came up behind him dressed in a wine-red silk robe which clung to her body like a tight-fitting dress. She noticed what had happened in the Mage's Crystal Ball, feeling the tension in his shoulders.

"Calm yourself, Master. It's merely the shock of being torn from their world and placed into a new world that expects so much from them." She soothed. Disturbed, hissing whispers filled the air around them making Eleanor smile with dark radiance.

"Yes, they may descend from her bloodline, but that is no reason to blame _them_. Besides, they're human. Eventually, they will come to terms with their situation and let themselves be used like the tools they are to help _you_ , not Ossyria." Eleanor smiled, her glossy red lips spreading to reveal white teeth below. The Mage nodded thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes as he thought.

"The Knights of the Empress and the young Dragon Master Evan should be finishing with the last wave of Skelegons I sent out earlier; we shouldn't have to worry about them for a while," she added. Again, The Mage nodded his head, calling up the image of the battlefield in his crystal ball. Indeed, thousands of skull fragments and hundreds of Skelegon bodies lay strewn everywhere. His eyes narrowed, looking as though he were smiling as the image faded. Eleanor turned her attention to The Mage when whispers filled the air, inquiring of a project that she had been given.

"Just a bit longer, and he will be ready for service," Eleanor replied wistfully, sighing as she made herself comfortable on his chair's arm. The Mage thrummed the spittle in the back of his throat approvingly, dancing the Dark Crystal over his fingers like a coin, watching the energy within swirl each time it stopped. Raising his eyes to the horizon, he breathed slowly as aura fizzled from his shoulders: he would show Minerva what she was lacking, and these children were just the tool to do so.


	32. G - Chapter 5: Training

Chapter 5: Training

The night left many things to ponder: what lay ahead of them? Would they ever be able to return to Ohio? Would any of them die? Would they be able to even stop the Black Mage? Would they be able to handle smaller related responsibilities? Dozens of children and pleading adults thanked them in advance as they wandered the camp before turning in. Salvation from the tyranny of the Black Mage was in sight, and it gave them hope to no longer be afraid.

Jack and Olsen seemed the least affected by the trust afforded to them, using it as a motivation to be better. Jenny thought of when Stumpy grabbed her and began to squeeze her, shivering as she remembered the crushing grip she had been caught in. It could have been easily prevented, but at the same time, her mother Athena showed her how to never let it happen to her or anyone else again.

Meanwhile, Matthew and Helen were especially conflicted. Matthew couldn't accept his failure to help Helen in her time of need. He had always seen himself as the noble warrior that would come to anyone's aid, and he often vicariously emulated that ideal by helping some of his classmates in Ohio. But letting down Helen by only standing by and being unable to do anything against Stumpy made him question his belief in that code.

Helen cursed herself, even blamed herself for letting someone touch her in such a manner when it could have been so easily prevented. She had always been a straight-A student, evident in her eligibility for Summa Cum Laude in next year's graduation. So many things had happened so quickly after her assault that it prevented her time to process. Jenny being nearby as someone she could speak to was a great help during the past two days, but it still couldn't erase the feeling of that man's hands on her, and now she was taken to another world and asked to be its savior. Why should _she_ be the one to do something like that? Why should she be asked to protect an entire world when she couldn't even defend herself? When the next morning came, Matthew and Helen could barely walk straight, staggering into the large eating area just south of the 'Tent Suberb,' as it had been dubbed.

"What happened to you two? You look like you've been run over by a truck." Jenny commented to Matthew and Helen as she bit into a giant peach. As they both sat down, Jack and Olsen chuckled when Helen slumped over onto an arm, and Matthew dropped his head to the table.

"I couldn't sleep; too many things running through my head," Matthew replied, picking up a peach and biting into it. Helen reached for one but dropped it in surprise when Aran sat down next to her, while his wife Lilin, and daughter Lillianne, sat across from him.

"I could ask how you all slept, but just by looking at you all I can tell that Helen and Matthew didn't get any sleep," Aran said, peeling the skin from a juicy peach, and slurped up the juice as he bit into it.

"Well aren't you the clever detective," Helen muttered, despite wanting to just lay her head down and fall asleep, sluggishly reaching for the peach again. Her other hand reached into her pocket and pulled out her dead phone, only to stare at the blank black screen.

"Have you given any more thought to what I told you two last night?" asked Lillianne from a table behind them. Helen and Matthew sighed before Matthew offered his reply.

"It was all I could think about," Matthew mumbled, a yawn stopping him from biting into his peach.

"Will you help us?" Lilin asked with hopeful blue eyes. An odd silence fell over the group as Helen and Matthew became the center of attention. Aran broke the silence with a firm tone of voice.

"You must decide by mid-morning. Shanks will be piloting his ship to Victoria, where you will begin your training. I will not force you into this. Though without you, the Black Mage's rule may never come to an end." Olsen raised an eyebrow.

"Victoria? Wasn't it evacuated because The Mage was being resurrected? And what's the rush?" he asked. Grendal chuckled as he sat down next to Matthew and answered.

"It was. And The Mage's resurrection left the island in quite the unsafe state for most normal people. If we could replicate what exists in Victoria, we would. But that requires magic beyond what we can perform. As for the urgency, The Black Wings seem to have reduced their presence on the island. There is no telling when that will no longer be the case."

"And what would that be?" Helen asked, biting into her peach. Athena took a drink to clear her throat and answered.

"On the Island of Victoria, special training grounds exist in each city that aid new adventurers in training. These grounds have been created over the years by applying spells to the grounds, shaping them into what they are. If they were to be recreated, only someone with power equal to Minerva's could successfully do so."

"So, what? We gotta go to Victoria to train there? Why can't we train here where it's safer?" Jack asked, talking over a mouthful of bread in his mouth. Kyrin nudged him with her elbow before answering.

"You could train here, but none of you know how to use Mana. The training grounds are specially designed to help you learn to use mana. You can try using mana here, but I doubt it." She laughed. Jack stared at his hand, thinking back to when he beat up the thugs at the docks. If he could just remember how it felt, it might be a clue to controlling Mana. Kyrin smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't recommend trying to do that right now. The only thing you've felt is the power of the Ruby Crystal. Without any basic knowledge of mana control, you just might burn out your life force." Jack immediately put his hand down.

"Are you just going to send us there?" Jenny asked. Athena shook her head.

"No, Jenny. We will be going with you. While we are there, we, Chief Knight Oz, and Chief Knight Irena will be investigating the Sleeping Wood where The Mage rose from. Yasmin, Mark, Gregory, and May will stay here for the time being. There are dangers on Victoria that you would be able to handle, but not them. And we can only fight off so much." She answered. An awkward silence hung over them for the rest of the meal. Matthew was the first to finish and walk back to his hut.

He paced heatedly, trying to reason within himself what was expected of him. He wanted to make himself see that he _could_ be what Ossyria needed. On the one hand, the weight of the world was rested on his shoulders, and it was his 'responsibility' to save this world. On the other hand, he was just a kid from Ohio with good grades and occasionally spent his afternoons alone. He battled with himself for nearly an hour on whether or not he would be the hero everyone wanted him to be. Helen came in and leaned against the door jam, crossing her arms and chuckling as she watched him pace.

"This isn't like you, Matt." She finally said, startling Matthew out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked, sitting down on his cot to catch his breath and calm himself after Helen startled him.

"Normally, when you're presented with a challenge, you do it without so much as a thought to the consequences or benefits. But right now you're just driving yourself insane." Matthew laughed and motioned back to her.

"Did you have a change of heart or something? Weren't you trying to resist this harder than me?"

"I was; but I thought about what Lillianne said, about how enough life has been lost. There must have been a lot of people that were killed during the evacuation, and there might be more. I don't think there are droves of people here ready to fight off such a powerful foe as The Black Mage like the game."

"Are you saying we should jump into something that could very well be extremely dangerous, not to mention deadly, just because we are the one who can defeat the Black Mage?" Matthew asked, crossing his arms.

"Each one of us has one parent who is an _actual_ master, and they are going to _train_ us. Yes, it may be deadly, but I doubt they would ask us to do something that we can't do. And yes, being 'the only heroes to stop the bad guy' is a bit cliché, but it's our reality now."

"So you actually believe what they told you?" Matthew asked, standing and walking over to her.

"Not completely, but it does explain for me all the weird things that our folks can do. And I bet it explains what your dad can do too. What's holding you back?" Helen asked, following after Matthew as he walked to a cliff near his hut overlooking all of the tents and cabins of the camp's residents.

"I am having trouble with being this person that everyone thinks is their savior. I'm an average person who has been asked to defend an entire world and its people from being destroyed. I don't want that kind of power! I'm not some awesome hero slash god from another world." Matthew shouted, running his fingers through his hair in a frustrated rage as he walked to the wall of his hut and leaned against it. Helen placed an understanding hand on his shoulder and sighed in solidarity.

"Look, I get it. We might fail, but we need to try."

* * *

"Shanks, get the engines ready. We are leaving without them." Aran said sternly, turning and walking up the gangplank while Grendal tried to persuade him otherwise.

"Aran, please just wait a bit longer. I'm sure that…"

"Grendal, we've waited long enough. Eckhart and his knights have found that the activity of the Black Wings is at an all-time low. If we don't go now, they may increase their troops, and we won't get another chance."

"Just give it another five minutes! Matthew's mom is looking for them." Jenny said, standing in Aran's way.

"Jenny, you sent Yasmin to search for them over forty minutes ago, and she hasn't returned with them yet. We are already well past the time I told you all we were leaving, and each minute we wait could mean that our luck will fail. Cast off when you're ready Shanks!" Aran called over Jenny's shoulder. Shanks nodded, pulling levers next to the helm to raise the anchors and unfurl the sails. Slowly and sadly, the _Queen's Wing_ was pushed away by the dock hands and set afloat in the bay of the Mu Lung province. The sails pushed out as the light winds caught them, driving the large galleon into motion. Matthew and Helen arrived at the end of the dock just as the ship had turned around and was headed towards its launching point.

"WAIT! WAIT FOR US!" But the ship was already too far away for them to be heard. Helen backed up a few steps, ready to begin sprinting.

"What are you up to?" Matthew asked, noticing the determined light in her eyes.

"A wise person once said 'if your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.'" She said as she jumped into the ice-cold water and began swimming after the ship. Matthew huffed and jumped in after her, pushing his arms and legs as hard as he could to try and catch the accelerating galleon. From behind them, Jenny thought she had heard splashing and looked back to see Matthew and Helen swimming.

"Aran! They're coming! We left too soon!" Jenny called, pointing back to show Aran who ran to the side of the ship.

"Shanks we need to stop and get those two aboard," Aran commanded, running up to the helm at the back of the ship.

"I'm sorry, but if we stop now, we won't have enough speed to get into the air," Shanks replied. Athena bit her lip as she thought, then ran below deck and returned with a light rope in hand. She tied one end to an arrow, firing it into the water behind Matthew.

"GRAB THE ROPE!" called Dances as he tied the rope to the railing behind the helm. Helen quickly grabbed the line as is slid past her. Matthew couldn't find it as it had sunk just out of his reach. When he finally did find it, it was too far away to grab.

From below the water, turbines slid out of the hull and above the water, flames igniting within the housing, heaving into motion the large propellers at their backs. Matthew tried even harder to grab the end, flailing against the winds of the turbines that tried to push him back. Helen was soon brought aboard and quickly turned around to cheer Matthew while a towel was draped over her shoulders.

"We're almost at full power," Shanks called as he flipped switches to fold back the sails and to activate levistone heaters while large canvas wings unfurled on the bow. Jack looked to the Helm console where he saw a countdown with only a few seconds remaining.

"C'MON, MAN! YOU CAN MAKE IT!" Jack hollered. Matthew made one giant effort in reaching for the last few feet of the rope. All at once the turbines kicked in, knocking everyone into the railing or to the deck, speeding them along the last few hundred feet of water, over a waterfall and into the air. Shanks made a few adjustments and guided the ship into the clouds.

"What he able to grab hold?" Athena asked, getting up with a hand from Dances. Aran could only shrug; no one had really seen whether or not Matthew grabbed the rope. Now they were too far away to see if Matthew was still in their wake. Olsen hung his head as he leaned against the railing.

"He was so close too." He said disappointedly, following everyone down the stairs from the helm to and into the hold. It would be a good few hours before Victoria was in sight. Before descending the stairs, Olsen stopped, listening to something that he thought he heard. Jin turned back and motioned for him to follow.

"Olsen, come, we must get below deck…"

"Shh…" Olsen cut Jin off, running back to where the rope was tied on. As he looked down, he thought the line was pulled tight while something swung from it. Olsen thought he heard a faint voice calling out from somewhere in the clouds.

"Hey! Heeeeeeyy! Anyone there!?" it called out. As they cleared the clouds, they could all see Matthew hanging on the rope for all he was worth. Olsen called over Dances and Jack as the three of them hauled Matthew up. Matthew was greeted by everyone before given a towel despite being sopping wet.

"You are, indeed, a warrior. Only the son of Dances with Balrog would attempt something as foolish as this." Jin said sternly. Matthew tried many times to speak, only to have his words be lost in a multitude of pants.

"You lot should go below deck to get warmth and rest. It'll be a few hours before we clear the Nihal desert and even more time before we clear Ludibrum." Shanks said, speaking mainly to Helen and Matthew, who both accepted the offer with gratitude. Jin and Athena hung up hammocks for the two of them which Helen and Matthew crawled into and promptly began falling asleep.

"Can you believe it? We're headed to the _actual_ Victoria Island!" Jenny said, realizing she might have said it a bit too loudly.

"I know! I want to go see is Pig Beach really exists." Jack answered. Olsen propped himself up within the crook of a couple boxes and reclined against them.

"I want to know if the Secret Garden really exists." Jack raised his eyebrow and looked over to him.

"Secret Garden?"

"Yes, it's supposed to be the starting grounds for the upcoming Dual Blade coming out in a couple months," Olsen said proudly.

"How did you get a look at it if it isn't out yet?" Jenny asked, remembering she had seen some promotional videos for it, but nothing beyond that.

"It was on video I saw that was showing it off in the Korean version."

"But if it's a 'secret' garden, doesn't that mean it's supposed to be a secret?" Jack asked.

"Secret or not, I just want to know if it's real." Olsen chuckled, as the three of them quietly talked while Athena and Jin headed further back in the hold to the makeshift conference room. As they neared, Jin grabbed Athena's arm hard and stopped her firmly mid-stride.

"Athena, you do know that you won't be able to help them as much if they are going to be the strong warriors we need them to be. They will never learn if we hold their hand the entire way," Jin firmly said to her. Athena nodded.

"The Guardians won't survive if we don't until they can stand on their own. I know how much you want to ask of them, but survival training is something they have not been taught as of yet, at least, to survive in Ossyria. They have only been here for a few days, Jin, give them time to learn and adjust. It was years before even you were half the ninja you are today." She answered, but Dark Lord Jin shook his head.

"I was not born with power created by Minerva. Just in coming back to our world, the crystals are beginning to regain their power, making them more of a target. They all need to learn how to tap into that power and use it for themselves to stop the Black Mage."

"That will come with time, Jin. For now, they need our guidance in learning the basic forms of Mana Manipulation. Without it, they could kill themselves." Jin released Athena and silently stomped back to the conference room. Matthew listened quietly as he slowly fell asleep: yes, he was worried about what lay ahead of him, but he was far too tired to care.

* * *

The Mage was looking into his crystal ball as the little group was making its way to the since abandoned Victoria: so predictable. They couldn't find another way to teach without being dangerous. Under the leadership of Eleanor, the Black Witch, the Black Wings had been searching vigorously for any hints as to the location of the original founder of the Black Wings, Orca. Nearly a thousand years had passed, so her suspended animation sarcophagus could be anywhere.

Initially, The Black Mage intended to seek out his Ephenia, the Fairy Queen whom he had seduced into following him, turning her and the papillio against Minerva. But as he neared her forest palace of vines and flowers, he found it to be blocked off by an unusually powerful barrier. Not even his Black Magic was able to penetrate it. Upon studying the magic, he discovered that it had been erected not long after his sealing by Minerva's Heroes, but its makeup was of modern design.

It was strange that modern magic had been in the past, but that was of little consequence. The gathering of his old generals would be a priority. Orca had been the one to design the sarcophagus for all the generals as a backup plan, and she was the only one that knew where the others were hidden all over Ossyria. However, General Von Leon might be harder to find as his castle had disappeared shortly before The Mage's assault on the Temple of Time.

And then there was the matter of the Crystal Husks. Eleanor and her pet Wyverns were searching all of Ossyria for them, but as of yet, their locations remained a mystery. It would take time, but that would be time for these Guardians to retrain the power of the Crystals.

* * *

 _Matthew found himself walking along a long path, lined with people that he didn't recognize, each one reaching out, begging for release and assurance. At the end stood a man dressed in tattered black robes. He, Jenny, Olsen, Helen, Jack, and a girl Matthew didn't recognize were all racing towards this man in unison. But it didn't seem like enough._

 _Power of differing colors began flowing from around the five of them, but the girl doubled over in pain. Matthew went to see if she were alright, but she forced herself back to her feet and fought with them. All six of them attacked, this time hitting harder than before. The man in black reeled as he tried to deflect the attacks, but some of them were too heavy and landed their mark._

 _As they fought, the girl stopped and spit up blood. Matthew went to her, but she insisted that she was alright and that they should keep fighting. He continued to fight the man in black but felt worried when the power surrounding the girl changed from grey smoke to pale green light. Matthew also noticed that their attacks became weaker._

 _Looking back to the girl, he noted that blood was running from her eyes, nose, and mouth. He called out her name, but again, she rallied her strength and stood to fight. The man in black appeared to be weak and mustered all their remaining power into the one blow. Light erupted as the attack connected, sound waves ripping through the air and demolishing all within the room._

 _When at least the light subsided, Matthew ran to the girl, catching her just as she was collapsing. Blood soaked his gauntlets from a wound in her side. He called for Helen to heal her, but Helen shook her head. With the last bit of life in her, the girl reached up and caressed Matthew's cheek. It looked as though she were desperately trying to say something. But her massive strength failed and she slowly, painfully fell limp_ when a sudden jolt made Matthew spill out of the hammock onto the floor of the ship's hold.

"Ow, my head…" he mumbled, rubbing his forehead. As he opened his eyes, he noted they were sore and wet. Had he been crying? Why was he crying? Did that girl in the dream mean something to him? As he stood back up, he noted that his whole body and steps felt light and the floor had a slant to it, as if the ship were descending. Once he found his footing, Matthew made his way back up to the deck and was immediately swathed in damp clouds where he was greeted by Jack.

"Hey, you're up. You alright man? You were crying pretty hard back there." Matthew wiped his eyes again, wiping the last remaining tears.

"I think so. I had this really vivid dream, and someone I really cared about died."

"That's intense. Was it your mom?"

"No, it wasn't her. It was some other girl I didn't recognize, but we were close. Like, _really_ close." Jack chuckled and shrugged.

"Heh, well that's dreams for ya. I had a dream that I was fighting off a giant green apple." Matthew snorted and burst out laughing.

"An apple? Really?"

"Yeah man, it was no joke." The two of them laughed about it for a while until the ship burst from the cloud cover, revealing an island amid a dark sapphire sea.

"There it is, Guardians, The Island of Victoria," Aran announced. Matthew's breath caught in his throat as what lay before him was not the idyllic island from Maplestory. Instead, it looked like a warzone, even from their great distance. In the center of the island, a massive black chasm spread its ashen blight over the island, causing it to appear dead.

"What happened?" Helen asked in a breathy voice. Aran's brow pursed and his jaw clenched.

"This is what the Black Mage's unsealing left behind." He growled, remaining silent for a while, speaking again in a commanding voice.

"Be on your guard and follow the instructions of your parents. The island may be deserted by its people, but the Black Wings still operate here. Your training will help, but if you encounter any Black Wings, retreat to your masters as fast as you can. Even as you are now, you stand no chance against them," He said, turning to Shanks and nodding to him, making the decent become faster.

"So, are you like, going back to Herb Town or something?" Jenny asked.

"No, Chief Knights Eckhart and Oz will be joining me to investigate the site where The Black Mage rose from. It may hold some clues as to how he was released." Another hour passed before Shanks brought the ship down through a mass of trees. Ash and dust billowed everywhere until the turbines began to spin down. Once the dust had settled, they saw a broad, wooden path leading to the side of the ship, which rested on a platform further down. Jin was the first to disembark, motioning for the others to follow through a tunnel that led through a massive tree trunk.

The Five blew past Jin, stopping on the other side of the tree, staring in awe at the sight that was before them. Trees as tall as skyscrapers reached to the sky with leaves as big as cars. Drops of dew as big as baseballs hung the tips of the leaves.

"It's beautiful," Jenny whispered, taking in the whole scene before her.

"This is nothing like the game. This is so much bigger," Jack commented before catching sight of a house near the tops of the trees.

"Hey, isn't that…"

"Yes, Jack, that's my house," Grendal answered, hovering over the branches up to the front door.

"I still can't quite wrap my head around your grandfather being _the_ Grendal," Jenny said with a chuckle as they walked over to a bridge made of vines and planks, following them to where Grendal stood, holding his hand against the door of the building.

"This place used to be so alive," he whispered, only loud enough for Helen to hear as the others wound their way up to the building.

"Since the Fairies left, well, there hasn't been much life in this place," He said sadly as he pushed the door open to reveal his study and home, teaching many a traveler the ways of magic. The rest of the group filed into the small house, looking around in wonder at the dusty room filled with books until Aran brought their attention back to the task at hand.

"I know that all of this must be overwhelming, but you must all go your separate ways. Grendal and Helen will stay here in the east forest of Ellinia. Dances with Balrog, Kyrin, Jack, and Matthew shall go the Northern hills of Perion. Dark Lord and Olsen shall go to the west alleys of Kerning City. Finally, Athena and Jenny shall go to the southern plains of Henesys. You masters have been allotted two months to train. During that time, there will be some instances where your masters will come with me to investigate happenings around the island. Are there any questions?" he asked. Jack raised his hand slowly.

"Yes, Lord Jack."

"Who's back in Mu Lung guarding everyone if everyone is here?"

"That doesn't need to be a worry of yours. Evan, Lillianne, and the remaining Empress Cygnus' Knights are there to ensure the safety of everyone there. Are there any other questions?" Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the information given to them, so Aran drew eight glowing blue stones from his vest, handing one to each of the masters.

"We shall convene in two months then: train hard, Guardians of Ossyria!" Each of the masters grabbed onto their children and shot into thin air right before Helen's eyes.

Helen Begins:

As her friends vanished before her eyes, Grendal and Aran bid their farewells, before her grandfather turned to her and sighed.

"Right then: We should get your training started. You even get to wear special clothing!" called Grendal, leading her into a back room where he searched through trunks, boxes, and even the drawers in his bedroom.

"Are the clothes in Ossyria like the ones in the game?" Helen squealed, shortly after Grendal returned from his searching with dust all over his white robe.

"Yes and no. Here, clothes and armor still help in amplifying your power, but not in the same way as the game portrays." He said as he searched. Helen helped in the search, at the same time imagining herself wearing a Red Calaf robe. It was something she had wanted to make and dress in for Halloween that year. As she searched, Helen saw two old glass cases with no doubt something ancient and valuable inside. The glass was covered in so much dust that no one could see through it any longer.

"Hey Grampa, what are those cases up there?" she asked. Grendal followed where she pointed and smiled. One of the cases levitated from its perch with a wave of his hand to where Helen stood. Helen grabbed a cloth and wiped away the dust from the glass, revealing a backless dress as black as a raven's feather that secured around the neck. The light shining through the windows made it glisten with a gold sheen as though it were polished onyx. A gold belt hung low around the waist while silken gold half sleeves hung on either side of it.

"Whose dress was this?" Helen asked as she wiped more and more dust from the case, revealing the other accessories within.

"This dress is the only one of its kind. As of yet, there has been no one to wear the prized Onyx Empress Requiem. If you train with all your heart, you may one day wear such a garment." Helen's awe was only broken when Grendal held a bland looking sleeveless shirt and long skirt to her.

"What are these?" Helen asked with raised eyebrows and questioning eyes while taking the scratchy woolen clothes.

"These are your training clothes. Once you have completed your training, you will be awarded this." Grendal pulled back a curtain to reveal a free-flowing top and skirt in lovely lavender and purple colors. The tube top flowed into loose-fitting, sheer sleeves. The knee length skirt was made of the same material as the sleeves, with an apron-like fabric hanging from the waist under the skirt. She then looked back at the drab clothes Grendal had given her and sighed.

"Can't I just wear that?" she asked, pointing to the black dress. Grendal slowly shook his head.

"That dress contains ancient power, which would overwhelm you just by touching it. For now, you will wear these. All great magicians, myself included, wore something just like those clothes you're holding," Grendal said. Sighing disappointedly, Helen went into the back room to change, feeling rather conspicuous since the top was a tad too big and the skirt fit too snugly. The shoes she was given to wear were anything but glamorous, not to mention the pointed hat she was also given to wear was lopsided. When she came out, she carried her old clothes with her, holding her phone in her hand.

"Ah, there you are, and those clothes don't fit right at all." With a snap of his fingers, the outfit was adjusted to her frame with magical ease.

"Now then, off to the training grounds!" Grendal said with a smile, ready to step out the door.

"Where should I put these? Don't tell me you're going to throw them away!" Helen asked, motioning to her old clothes, feeling that she was leaving a large part of her life behind. Grendal stopped and looked back at the neatly folded pile in her arms.

"Throw them out? Why would I do such a thing? They are still good. Though you may outgrow them sometime down the road, there is no way that I would throw them out. Just set them there on that desk. I promise that we will return for them." He answered. Helen sighed and set her clothes down, hesitating before setting her phone down on top of them, knowing she may never be able to use it again. She gave one last longing glance at the phone before leaving through the front door, following Grendal over numerous vine bridges to a vast platform. It was secured to multiple trees, with grass, dirt, and even a small stream running through the middle of it. As Helen set foot on the platform, her whole body felt lighter as her fatigue vanished. Grendal turned back to her with hands behind his back.

"This place is where I trained many a Magician. For now, you are to keep your mouth closed, and your ears and heart open. Only answer questions that I ask. What I am going to help you with is to tap into your mana, an energy that comes from your Life Force. It is used as a catalyst for all magic or abilities. Now place your feet like this, just a bit wider than your shoulders, pull your arms in and close your eyes. Look deep inside yourself. Look for the feeling of energy swirling within you." Helen closed her eyes, listening to everything that was around her: birds singing, the light breeze blowing through the trees, and the musty smell of live wood. She was about to give up when she felt something. It felt like a light pressure in her chest.

"I think I found it!" she exclaimed. Grendal smiled when he heard the smile in her voice.

"Good. Remember that feeling. That is your mana. Now, you must take that feeling and direct it to your mind and your hands. This will properly open the pathways for you to use your mana and build the amount available to you. To compare it to something you already know, your total mana is equivalent to two mana points. But be warned; if you try to use any spell after your mana has completely depleted, you will instead use your life force. Unless you can tap into the power of the Crystal itself, which you will learn to use, you will slowly begin to kill yourself."

"But how can I learn to use that power? I barely know how to use mana." Helen asked, opening her eyes.

"You can use that power already. If you remember, you were subconsciously using it when you were giving students first aid. It took the form of a healing spell. The principle for using it is the same as mana, but it is far more potent. Learning to use the crystal's power will come in time. For now, focus on mana." For hours, the two of them worked to gain control of Helen's mana by directing it to her hands. It would often come close, but not before her mana would run out.

Just as the sun was setting, Helen finally broke through. Directing her mana made it grow tenfold. She would have liked to continue, but her body and mind were worn out. Grendal teleported them both back to his house. Helen meandered to a soft bed and collapsed, instantly falling asleep.

The next morning started far too early for Helen. Nonetheless, she dragged her sore body from bed to run through an underbrush obstacle course that Grendal had set up the night before. When she finished, Helen was given only a few moments to catch her breath, then hurled right into her magic training. Once shown and instructed, Helen practiced the most basic attacks, the Plasma Bolt and the Double Claw, on unsuspecting green blob-like creatures called Slime that roamed the area. Once she was sure of her mana control, Grendal showed her more advanced spells such as Magic Armor, Teleportation and Armor Fortification until her mana ran dry.

After Helen was given a rest, she was sent through the obstacle course and drained her mana again while Grendal coached her. On the third round running the course, Helen collapsed to the ground, panting and wheezing as though she had just run eighty miles.

"Get up, you still have the whole day ahead of you!" Grendal commanded. Helen pulled her elbows under her; her chest felt tight, each breath felt like fire, and her eyes burned from sweat dripping into them.

"No… more… for today… I'm spent."

"Do you think that the Black Mage will wait for you to regain your stamina? You must get up and go on!" Helen pulled her jelly legs under her, calmed her breathing, and brushed the sweat from her brow.

"Minerva would be proud of you, Helen. Now show me the most powerful Plasma Bolt you can muster!" Helen channeled mana to her hands, heating the air around it into its most basic form then hurled it away from her with a heartfelt yell.

Olsen Begins:

It felt only like a moment, but Jin and Olsen were soon standing outside of a rundown city. Once tall buildings lay in rubble all over the ground. Sidewalks were broken and twisted, newsstands and small shops had broken windows, while pages of newspapers littered the streets.

"Is this Kerning?" Olsen asked while Dark Lord shook his head.

"This is only what is left. Come." Jin commanded. Olsen solemnly followed until they stopped in front of a café with the doors missing. Inside was dusty beyond help. Chairs were broken everywhere, and bottles from the bar lay in shattered spreads of glass on the ground. The only placed left untouched was the back bathroom. Jin and Olsen crowded into the tiny space, then pulled the flush chain making the floor sink below ground level to what looked to be an underground boxing arena.

Jin walked off to the lockers while Olsen admired the scene before him. To one side of the room was a locked wardrobe. Something felt as if it were calling him from inside; something powerful.

"Hey, dad. What's inside the dress…" a shuriken came flying in from somewhere in the locker room and cut the lock off, throwing the doors open. The inside revealed a rugged and well-made red kimono shirt and pants edged in gold cloth, while a long sash was wrapped around the waist and tipped with a large bell. Knee high boots sat at the bottom of the dresser while a Captain's hat perched on top with a white bandana below it.

"That is the ultimate in Ninja Attire: The Blade of Flames. No other ninja, including myself, have ever become powerful enough, or worthy enough to wear such an honor. If you stay the course, you will. In the meantime, wear these." Jin answered, handing Olsen a dull red vest, loose-fitting pants, weighty brown shoes, and a floppy beanie.

"Clothes like these have been worn by some of the most powerful Ninja, myself included, in all of Ossyria." Olsen looked over the clothes and sighed, looking back to the Blade of Flames. He _was_ going to wear that one day, he would make sure of it.

It didn't take him long to change into the training clothes. When he came out of the locker, his father was standing next to a mannequin dressed in a red sleeveless shirt over fine brass chainmail. The pants resembled red denim with plates of hardened armor attached to it on the shins. At the foot of the mannequin were boots covered in black chainmail, and a floppy, beanie-like hat sat on the head.

"This will be given to you once you have completed your training. Now come, we must make you aware of your mana," Jin commanded. The two of them sprinted through the city, performing many feats of parkour as they traveled to an abandoned construction site. Olsen instantly felt something wash over him as he stepped over the perimeter.

"Here is where many a Ninja was born. If you are going to be the hero you were destined to be, you must first have an awareness of your own power. The Pink Quartz's power is something you will be able to control with time, but that is not what I want you to use. I want you to use your mana. It is energy that every man, woman, and child is born with." Holding up his hand, a small pool of thick blue-brown liquid formed in his palm.

"Many are never aware of it: this energy comes directly from your Life Force, and so you must be careful when you do use it. You can use all your mana without consequence, but once you have, you must either rest until it is restored or tap into the limitless power of the Quartz. Otherwise, you will use your very own life force, and it will kill you." Olsen thought about what he had been told for a moment until Jin handed him a glove with a thin plate attached over the knuckles with small points, and a dagger. The glove also had close to twenty shurikens loaded into a small pocket just behind the palm under the wrist where the glove was fastened.

"This Claw is yours until you have completed your training. You will be given this, the Steel Guard, as a gift once your training is complete." Olsen looked over the Claw with eyes wide, the feats of what he had accomplished while playing his character in Maplestory coming to mind. He wondered if he would eve be able to return to Ohio one day, or if he could, would he even want to? He may be close to Matthew, Jenny, Jack, and Helen, but he had made some other friends in Ohio that he would miss. With a hard sigh, putting it out of his mind and centering on the moment.

"So how do I become aware of my mana?" Jin smiled. Olsen reminded him so much of his younger self during his days as part of the Night Lords.

"First, you must clear your mind; think only about finding a feeling of flow throughout your body. Stand with your feet together and your arms straight out to your sides." Olsen took the stance, despite feeling slightly stupid. A few times he couldn't really tell whether it was the need to go to the bathroom or something else, but soon he was able to find the flow of something. Concentrating on it, he felt a flutter in his gut.

"I've got it," Olsen called, continuing to concentrate on the flow. Jin smiled, watching as a low blue haze began to rise from Olsen's shoulders.

"Very good. Now channel that feeling into your arms and legs. Draw your dagger in the opposite hand of your Claw. Send the feeling through your arms and saturate both your Claw and your dagger. Take your time, because you will use up your supply of Mana."

"Well then what's the point?" Olsen asked, dropping his arms and opening his eyes.

"Another part of this training will expand your mana capacity. But be warned, once that you no longer feel your mana, you must stop. If you want to continue once your mana is gone, you must learn to control the Pink Quartz. Now concentrate!" Olsen snickered and retook his stance, clearing his head of everything. It was much harder than he had realized to redirect the flow that he had found. Just as he was getting close, his mana would run dry. After a short rest, he would try again, slowly but steadily opening his mana pathways and growing the amount of mana available to him. With the last effort, The routes were opened, leaving him exhausted. Jin made a campfire that night on the site and brought some blankets for Olsen to sleep on under the stars.

When morning came, Olsen was dragged from his covers and made to run a Parkour course, jumping over obstacles, steep inclines, and even over buildings. Once he finished, he was put through his paces using mana to throw two shurikens at one time or to stab twice so fast, both stabs appeared to hit simultaneously. For advanced techniques, Jin taught him the Shadow Cloak to become invisible and the Guard Drop to disorient an enemy. Once Olsen's mana would deplete, he would be allowed to rest for a short while, and then would be sent through the same process again until he collapsed in the middle of the day.

"I have… no more energy… I've gotta eat." Dark Lord nodded and let him have a small loaf of bread and some water, sending him through the course once finished. With each throw or stab, his mana was growing along with his speed and agility. Dark Lord could hear it in each grunt that came from Olsen. Each move he made began to show small flames, a sign that mastery of the techniques was building within Olsen.

Jenny Begins:

When Athena and Jenny arrived, neither was prepared for the sight that greeted them. Houses were flattened, shrubs yellowed, the grass had been turned to dust, and all the trees had been cut down except for one near the back of the village. Quietly, the two of them walked to that house, taking in all the damage that had been done during the evacuation.

"This looks nothing like the game." Jenny sighed as she knelt down and picked up a doll whose arm had been torn off and was missing a button eye.

"Within the game, the Black Mage was nothing but a far-off memory sweetheart. This is what fighting such a powerful foe looks like." Athena answered sadly.

"I remember children running through these streets, chasing one another with small bows and plunger arrows, pretending to be Minerva's heroes of old fighting off the Black Wings." Athena mused, still able to hear the sounds of those children's laughter, seeing their ghosts run through the streets. Jenny followed her mother into the house where broken arrows stuck into the wall or faded targets. It was so similar to the way the game had portrayed this house that Jenny felt as though she had stepped right into the game itself. As she admired the large front room, Athena went to her desk to search for something. Presently, Jenny came across a steel plate of names, reaching from the ceiling to the floor, covering an entire wall.

"What this?" she asked, running her hands over the letters which had been etched into the steel.

"It is a list of archers I trained before I left for the other world. Many, many of those names were lost during the battles that followed, but they will never be forgotten. Their sacrifice has laid the path for you to stop the Black Mage." Respectfully, Jenny ran her hand over each name, reading them off in her head as if she were visiting the Wall of Names in Washington D.C.: Jason Beil, Odette Mills, Alexio Gre, Christian Sori, and so many more. As Jenny felt over the names, she felt a small inconsistency in the metal, making a hideaway wall slide out. On a thin wooden rod hung two blue outfits reflecting the sun revealing metallic threads woven into the fabric. One looked to be a long button up dress with the front of the skirt cut out, showing the white pants with a wide black belt. The white sleeves ended in gold while the shoes and hat carried the same light yet authoritative blue as the dress.

"What is this?" Jenny asked with interest as she ran her hand over the collar, pulling away when something shocked her hard enough to give her a blood blister.

"These are called the Sky Lineros; the one on the left is meant for you. One does not simply buy armor and don it. The power within The Sky Leneros would overpower you, and you would lose yourself in the ecstasy of being drunk with power. For now, these will suffice." Athena stated as she produced a green tube top with a leather jacket, complemented by a matching heavy leather skirt and green apron.

"Do I really have to wear _that?_ " Jenny asked, pointing to the outfit in Athena's hands.

"Yes, however only until you have completed your training. You are still very far from being able to wear The Sky Lineros, but it won't be going anywhere." Jenny looked back at the Lineros and sighed, taking the outfit to a room where she could change.

"Do not feel so forlorn. Even I wore something like that when I learned from Mercedes," Athena said as she leaned against the wall outside the room. Jenny felt slightly better when she heard Athena had to wear this god-awful outfit but still wanted to wear the Lineros. When she came back out, Jenny walked over to the wall of names, setting down her clothes with a smirk while letting her hand linger on her favorite blouse.

" _I'll do you, proud guys,_ " she thought, turning back to Athena who handed her a simple bow and quiver of arrows as they walked to a range just outside the village walls. Jenny instantly noted the feeling of strength was over her. Athena spent some time explaining and showing Jenny how to discover and use her mana by channeling it through her arms. It was a slow process, but Jenny was able to direct her mana, leaving her physically exhausted, but stronger nonetheless. When they left the training grounds, Jenny felt the full weight of her fatigue as the magic no longer supported her.

She slept well that night, but the next morning, under the loud insistence of her mother, Jenny pulled her sore body from her bed. The fresh air was enough to quickly wake Jenny up as Athena drilled her in agility and marksmanship. Jenny was also drilled in using her mana for techniques she had seen her mother demonstrate. When Jenny tired near the middle of the day, Athena sternly motivated her to continue. Athena felt a slight twinge of pride when the next shot Jenny fired pushed a target back: her power was growing nicely.

Matthew and Jack Begin:

A thread of lightning hit the ground outside what looked to be an old stone temple. Statues of ancient warriors carved into the rock stood on either side of the entrance.

"Wow! I never thought that I'd actually be here one day." Matthew said in awe.

"Yeah no kidding, it's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be." Jack laughed, looking up enough to almost fall over backward.

"What is it, Jack?" asked Kyrin.

"This! I mean I know it's carved into a mountain and all, but still!" Jack said, throwing his hand forward to the temple.

"This is the Great Hall of Warriors; many were trained here. But this will be the first time that a Pirate has been trained at the Hall of Warriors." Dances with Balrog said as he heaved the stone doors open leading into the temple. Jack and Matt could hardly contain themselves as they admired the myriad of weapons hanging on the walls from past warriors, three of which were empty. The first showed the name Fang of Blades, and the second, Snow Tiger. The third looked as if the name had been scratched away with only an "a" and an "o" remaining.

"Who's name used to be here?" Matthew asked, pointing to the empty space. Dances began to answer when Aran came through the doors holding a package in his arms which he handed to Kyrin and left.

"What was that all about? I thought he was going to check things out in the center?" Jack asked.

"I had asked Aran to get this from the _Nautilus_ before we left and must have forgotten he had it. This is a gift once you are fully trained, the coveted suit Emerald Sea," Kyrin said proudly, pulling open the thick brown paper enough for Jack to see the black and green suit. Jack went to touch it, but a pressure pushing against his hand stopped him.

"That armor behind you, Matthew, is what you shall wear: The Bullion." Matthew turned to see a sturdy statue donned with elegant black and gold armor, preserved within a glass a wood cabinet. Matthew stepped to it and placed his hand on the dusty glass. He could feel the hum of power radiating from the armor, even from behind the panes.

"So where do we start?" Jack asked. Struggling to resist touching the suit. Something instinctively told him he wasn't ready.

"With these," Kyrin answered, holding a worn-out tank top and leather pants, with equally worn out shoes and bandana. Jack eagerly took the clothes, running to the darkest part of the temple to change. Once Matthew had his fill of admiring his eventual armor, Dances presented him with a dull suit of armor and dented grieves, which Matthew tried to don. After a few unsuccessful minutes, Dances chuckled and helped him put it on.

"I'm surprised that they are taking this so well." Commented Dances with surprise in his voice, watching as Jack and Matthew both admired one another's get up.

"Did you expect resistance?" Kyrin asked. Dances shook his head and waved his hand.

"No, not resistance, just a bit of complaining. I suppose I didn't give those two enough credit," Dances smiled. Putting their folded clothes on the altar, Jack and Matthew bowed to the wall, as if they were leaving their old life behind, going to the training grounds to, at the very least, become aware of their mana. Surprisingly, both boys took to routing their mana within a few minutes. They also surprised Kyrin and Dances when they insisted on beginning to train. Not wanting to stunt their enthusiasm, Jack was given a pair of Brass Knuckles, and Matthew was given a small sword. The day's training allowed both boys to grow in strength and mana capacity many times over. And the next day, despite being sore, were up and training even before Dances and Kyrin.

"They have spirit, I'll give 'em that," Kyrin chuckled as she watched the boys run through the obstacle course.

"My only hope is that it will not wither when the darker days come." Dance answered, crossing his arms and thinking of the next round of training for them both.

* * *

"What is it that we are looking for, Aran?" Eckhart asked, darting in and out of the shadows, only the white half of his face covering mask visible in the light of Oz's flames.

"We are looking for the Seal Anchors set up here by Freud. If we can find those, Oz might be able to figure out how they were broken." Oz tossed aside her fire red curls, holding up her staff as a wall of flaming gears appeared above them.

"I don't wanna sound rude Aran, but you do realize that I can't really read ancient magic all that well. You guys dealt with some potent stuff back in those days, and the modern magic structure is different compared to what you knew," Oz called, clambering over the rubble, looking for anything that resembled some kind of markings.

"I don't need you to read them Oz, I just need you to feel out how they were broken. Freud told me this seal was indestructible once it had been fully activated. Obviously, that wasn't the case, and I want to know why." Aran called, tossing aside boulders with ease to search until Eckhart called them over to some marking carved into the rock.

"That's what I'm looking for. Oz, if you would please." Aran asked. Oz sighed heavily, holding her hand over the markings. Within a few moments, Oz furrowed her brow and gave a concerned look to Eckhart.

"What's the matter, Oz?" Aran asked, noticing the shift in attitude coming from Oz and Eckhart.

"Three years before you left to get the masters, the Ereve Vault had been broken into where we keep some of Ossyria's most powerful relics. Nothing seemed to be missing at the time, so we kept it quiet as we investigated." Oz's shoulders squared as she stood up, keeping her vision averted from Aran.

"The Black Witch's attack on Ereve revealed that she had the Dark Crystal and was using it to enhance her powers. That attack prevented our assistance to Edelstein. We tried taking the Crystal away from her after we the Ereve forces defeated her, but we failed."

"How does this explain what happened here?" Aran snapped, realizing that the Dark Crystal in possession of the Black Wings would mean that they were in much more danger than he first thought.

"The energy coming from this seal is the same as the Dark Crystal's energy. It was used to break this seal." Oz explained.

"That's impossible! Freud made sure it was indestructible."

"Any spell, no matter how powerful, can be broken if bombarded with enough power," Oz answered solemnly.

* * *

The Mage looked to Eleanor as she sauntered into the room, whispers arising as she came closer.

"Yes, my Lord, the Slime King has been delivered to his domain. Isn't it time that you retire for the evening? You've been awake for nearly a month and a half. You should really get some rest." Eleanor said smoothly as she massaged his shoulders, handing him a glass of her special mana potion. The Mage drank a sip and held it to the sun as he adjusted his stiff neck. The only response she was given was him quickly drinking down the potion, then handing her the glass as whispers surrounded her once more.

"I meant no disrespect master. I am only thinking of your well being." She answered. The Mage narrowed his eyes at her, turning his attention back to the world outside his window, almost ignoring her before she left his chamber, feeling slightly alone.


	33. G - Chapter 6: Guardians Emerge: Victory

Chapter 6: The Guardians Emerge, Victorious

Two Months Later

Jenny sped through the obstacle course fast enough that her steps and movements kicked up a trail of dust. Her arms and shoulders glowed with a slight aqua light, enabling her to fire arrows with blinding speed. Unsuspecting jumping orange mushrooms would be pinned to the surrounding trees, and walking stumps would be reduced to splinters.

She skidded to a stop when the course came to a dead end with a wall of trees and thick bushes and immediately nocked an arrow, listening for the sound of possible attackers all around her. From behind her, a small green snake launched itself from a bush. Jenny spun around and pinned its head to a tree. Meanwhile, walking stumps began melting out of the nearby forests, creaking and snapping as they walked. Jenny reached for her crossbow and fired a spear of flaming aqua light into the ground, making it heave as dozens of bolts shredded through the stumps' wooden bodies. A small man wearing a mask made of wood over his face and brandishing a tomahawk ax promoting Jenny to quickly draw her bowstring as aqua light appeared from her hands in the shape of an arrow: The Spine Arrow.

The light pierced through the mask and skull of the creature; it let out a squeaking growl as it fell to the ground before fading away as blue dust. As the beast disappeared, the trees blocking Jenny path swept aside, allowing her to complete the training course. Over the past 2 months, Jenny had become a well-defined young woman; her usually jaw-length hair now came down to past her shoulders, which has also taken on a green tint. No longer was she the slim, athletic track runner from Ohio; she was now a toned and deadly archer.

"Well done, Jenny. You have performed your training much better than I could have hoped." Athena called. Jenny smiled with pride as she slung her bow over her shoulders and hugged Athena.

"Thanks, mom. Never thought I'd even get the hang of using the Emerald Crystal." Jenny said, holding up her hand where an aqua colored mist hovered in her hand. From behind her, Aran and Lillianne jumped down from the trees where they had been watching.

"I too am very impressed, Miss Jenny. I'm a bit confused as to why it's not completely green though." Aran asked. Jenny looked back to the cloud and shrugged.

"I'm… not entirely sure. It might be because I'm accidentally using a bit of mana when I use the crystal's power. It might get better over time, it's all still a little new to me." she answered. Aran nodded before reaching into his knapsack, where he pulled out a paper package and handed it to Jenny.

"This is a gift for completing your training, The Huntress Armor. It will help you on your journey." Jenny reached for the package and pulled the twine ribbon away to reveal the black and gold armor within.

"A new bow is waiting in the changing." Lillianne smiled broadly as Jenny ran inside where she found a bow with the name 'Ryden' written across the arms, along with a new crossbow, the Mountain, sitting on the floor. When she came out of the dressing room, she resembled a huntress even more than before. The snug fitting top accentuated her curves with a one-sided bikini over her chest. A short gold skirt over close-fitting black pants adorned her legs, while dark grey boots edged with gold protecting her feet. Finishing the ensemble was a black hat sporting a feather in the band.

"I'm beginning to think that I won't need that Sky Lineros any time soon; this looks amazing," Jenny said, admiring herself in the mirror, slinging the quiver and bow over her shoulder while hanging the crossbow on her hip.

"Here, these are also for you from me: a pair of earrings called the Snail Eyes," Lillianne said as she held out a small pair of silver earrings decorated with a green gem. Quickly, Jenny put them through her ears, despite the momentary pain of making a hole for them to go through. Jenny posed for a moment drawing her bow and admiring her stance in the mirror. Athena stood off to the side leaning against the wall, watching her daughter's posing, remembering her training under Mercedes. When Jenny faced her, Athena stood and nodded.

"The villagers will be reassured once you return to Herb Town." She said, placing a hand on Jenny's shoulder before Aran looked through the door.

"We must go and collect Helen. She should be finishing the last of her training at any minute." Aran stated as the four of them began running through the plains towards the thick forests of Ellinia.

* * *

Helen waved her staff to the side, casting a fire spell that roared through branches blocking her path and obliterated them as though they were paper. The smell of rotting wood wafted into her nose as Dark Walking Stumps came lumbering into her way, shooting tiny roots from the ground towards her. She quickly pointed her fingertips at them, spreading her hand as a lavender mist swirled from her arm. Streams of lighting shot down on the stumps, burning them to a crisp, spreading burnt splinters everywhere. Above her, a giant green spider hung down from its web, waiting for any kind of pray to wander into its sticky silk. Helen hadn't recovered from the spell that she had cast at the walking stumps and collided into the web, sticking to the threads.

The spider, as long as Helen was tall, pulled itself up and walked to where she had stumbled. However, before it could sink its fangs into Helen's arm, a cloud of lavender enveloped her, teleporting her a short distance away. She held her staff at arm's length, and Helen drew her hand across the shaft as though it were a bow. A blue cloud plumed from her hand, creating a giant bow and arrow made of divine light. The Sacred Arrow hit the spider through the heart, making it scream in a high pitched note as it melted into a sickly green pool of blood on the ground. Helen then pointed her staff to the web. Cold air billowed from the head, freezing the silk, which allowed her to hit it and break it into thousands of tiny shards.

No sooner had she broken the web, a pack of boars charged at her. Helen drove the end of her staff into the ground, making seal movements with her hands and fingers. She touched a pouch on her belt and pulled a small drop of poison out, inflating it like a bubble until it burst, causing its vapors to fall over the pack. They instantly stopped and began to convulse on the ground, letting Helen walk across the finish of her obstacle course while holding her breath just as Aran and the others came to where Grendal stood.

Jenny almost didn't recognize her friend; the girl she had known now only existed in her facial features. Helen's red hair had grown, cascading down to the middle of her back in luscious locks that had turned a light shade of lavender. Meanwhile, her bright eyes seemed to house a strange, powerful light deep within them. Despite the changes both had gone through, they still ran and hugged each other upon meeting gazes.

"Jenny! You look so different! You look good! Especially with that outfit and new bow of yours." Helen commented, running her hand over the green and yellow bow.

"I could say the same for you. I almost didn't recognize you!" Jenny answered, motioning to Helen's now more notable figure.

"You're not so bad yourself. It looks like you've been able to control the Emerald Crystal a bit."

"Yeah, but not much. I'm still using mana at the same time for some reason," Jenny said, holding up her hand where an aqua colored cloud appeared. Helen looked it over for a moment, narrowing her eyes as she thought.

"Are you thinking of the crystal's power as something to _add_ to your Mana?" Helen asked, watching the cloud more closely.

"I guess? Haven't really given it much thought. My mom said that controlling it was like controlling mana, so that could have something to do with it." Helen shook her head, holding up her hand as an intense violet cloud appeared in her hand.

"Controlling crystal power is the same, but tapping into it is a lot different. It's a separate energy altogether," she explained, a lavender cloud of energy appearing in her palm that made Jenny's skin tich with static.

"Well, that's easy for you. Most of your magic is based on Mana Manipulation."

"It's not as hard as you think. It just takes some practice. I actually started by using mana and crystal power at the same time, but Grandpa gave me some tips on how to single it out. " Helen said until Grendal cleared his throat, making Jenny back up a bit so that he could speak to his granddaughter.

"Helen, you have surpassed my expectations as a mage. Even your control over the Amethyst Crystal is impressive. And as such, I am extremely proud of you." He smiled as Aran stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Helen, you are truly the Guardian Mage. The pain, tears, sweat, and blood that you have shed haven't gone unappreciated. In honor of your completion, the Fairy Attire is waiting for you inside the library." Helen teleported away to change while Grendal, Athena, and Aran stepped away from the area a bit.

"Tell me Grendal, has Helen unsealed the Amethyst crystal?" Grendal shook his head.

"Not entirely. The majority of its power is still sealed. As Helen said, I showed her a few pointers, but the rest she has figured out on her own." Aran nodded in understanding, turning to Athena.

"And what of Jenny? It appears as though she hasn't been able to gain as much control. Have you taught her how to use it?"

"I taught her how to use it. However, she has expressed many times that she is unable to distinguish the differences between her mana and the Emerald Crystal's power." Aran sighed, putting his hand to his forehead with an uneasy grin.

"I don't like to be the pessimist in this situation, but the power of the crystals won't grow until they are unsealed. Can't you unseal them yourself?" Aran pressed.

"That would be unwise," Grendal answered. "While we masters wielded the crystal's power, I placed the nearly unbreakable seal on them to prevent its emergence in the other world. That power has now passed on to these children. In doing so, not only has the power changed but the nature of the seal as well, so releasing it now could prove deadly. When the time is right, the seal will break on its own." Aran crossed an arm over his chest and rested his chin on his fist, dropping his shoulders until Helen returned. Jenny and Lillianne could only stare in wonder at her transformation just by changing clothes.

"You look much more like a mage now, Helen," Lillianne grinned as she handed her a beautiful pair of earrings; teardrop-shaped plates of onyx centered on a chip of Amethyst called The Dark Shards. Since Helen already wore earrings, she quickly changed them for the prettier ones, as Grendal lowered a ring of gold onto her head.

"I'm almost jealous," Jenny smirked, helping to put on the earrings.

"I have already spoken to Dark Lord and Olsen. They will be meeting us in Perion where we will be collecting Matthew and Jack." Aran announced. Helen looked around at her training grounds before remembering something and teleporting away. A moment later she came back with her old clothes in her arms.

"Why are you bringing those? We don't really need 'em anymore." Jenny asked.

"It's something to remind me of home," Helen answered, teleporting after the group as they sped off to the mountains in the north. Even from their vast distance, they could see clouds of dust and smoke rising from over the mountains where Jack and Matthew were training.

* * *

Matthew's two-handed sword rang loudly as four unsuspecting walking stumps split in two. As he reached for the sword on his belt, Jack jumped over him, with a brightly crimson fist drawn back. The connecting punch obliterated a charging boar, dust, and a few leaves swirling in the air. Something made a massive log fall from above Jack, but Matthew was quick to draw his Viking sword from his hip and with a wide swing, he spit the log in half.

A blue cloud descended over Matthew while blue streaks covered Jack as giant boulders came falling down a hill behind them. With explosive strength, Matthew's swings cut each stone as if it were clay, while Jack's thunderous punches reduced them to pebbles.

"I thought that thing was going to be tougher," Jack said through huffs, drawing his pistol and firing two well-placed shots into the head of a Horned Ghost rising behind Matthew, nearly grazing Matthew's ear. Matthew flinched, rubbing his ear until he saw something behind Jack.

"It's all in… perspective!" in a blur, Matthew stabbed his two-handed sword over Jack's shoulder and through the stone mask of a creature readying to pounce Jack, causing it to disappear in a cloud of mana. Near the end of the course, Lillianne watched from a high vantage point, eager to see Matthew. Over the past two months, she had visited the Perion training grounds and spent time with Matthew during his downtime and watching him as he trained.

At the end of the course, a thick stone wall stood between Jack and Matthew and their goal. Matthew sheathed the Viking and readied his two-handed sword while Jack holstered his gun and adjusted his knucklers. A red glow surrounded them, and their weapons as the wind gently swirled around them. Jack took a few steps back; Matthew braced his stance. Threads of red lighting began to spark from the hilt and around the knucklers until Jack let out a screaming grunt, creating a perpendicular cyclone as he charged forward. Matthew drove his sword forward just as Jack passed him.

Both of them hit simultaneously with enough force to shower the finish line with small rocks and dust, making Dances and Kryin both dart away to avoid the debris. With an aloof saunter, Jack and Matthew walked across the finish, exchanging hand slaps like a secret handshake. Lillianne shivered when she felt the excess power of the ruby crystal wash over her. The only other person Lillianne had seen with that much control over the crystal's power was Helen, and both instances made her realize just how powerless Lillianne would be one day.

"What do you think, Lilly?" Aran asked. Lillianne jumped in surprise, unaware of Aran's coming up behind her.

"Dad! I told you never to call me that. I'm not a little kid anymore!" Lillianne blushed, turning away from him, hoping that he hadn't seen her intensely staring at Matthew. Aran chuckled until he felt something appear behind him. Spinning around, he drew his halberd Maha from his back, expecting to see a troupe of Black Wings soldiers. Instead, he saw Olsen and Jin jumping down to where Matthew and Jack were standing. Olsen wore a red close fitting shirt with golden-colored mail sleeve. His red pants also had golden-colored shin guards while a red cap with goggles sat atop his head and heavy steel chainmail boots adorning his feet.

When Jenny and Helen showed up at the finish line, they hardly recognized the boys standing before them. The last they had seen of Olsen, he had long blond hair and twinkling blue eyes. Now his hair was softer looking, cut just below his ears and draped over one eye, the majority of which beginning to turn a pastel pink. Matthew and Jack had lost some weight but gained more muscle mass. Matthew's hair had grown out to the middle of his back, turning an almost cranberry red. Jack's hair has also grown out, standing on end in long spikes, stained a dark crimson. Jenny immediately let out an excited squeal, running to each of them and giving them all a tight hug.

"You guys look so different! I almost didn't recognize you!" She said. Jack and Olsen looked to each other for a moment as Jenny hung from Matthew's neck for a moment.

"Jenny? Is that you!?" Jack asked, pointing to her with wide eyes and surprised laugh.

"Yeah, it's me, who else did you think it would be?" Jenny asked, putting a fist on her hip.

"Dang, girl. Look at you! You look amazing!" Jack complimented until he, Matthew, and Olsen caught sight of Helen who glided towards them. All three only stared in disbelieving awe: was this really the same Helen they knew from Ohio?

"I could say the same for you three. Time has definitely been working its magic on all of us." Helen answered. Off to the side, Jenny groaned under her breath and nudged Olsen in the ribs. Sure, Helen was captivating, but she was too in her own way, right? Helen broke the silence when she noticed how intensely colored Jack's, and Matthew's hair was tinted, even more so than Olsen's.

"How is it that all of us went through the same rigorous training, but only Jack and Matthew's hair has almost completely changed color?" she asked, holding up a few strands of her lavender hair to show. Aran scratched his forehead for a second and then turned to Grendal as though asking for help.

"Perhaps they have a natural affinity for controlling the crystal? It was Jack that tripped the Ruby Crystal first, albeit by accident." Gendal answered when Jack spoke up.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. As far as controlling it though, It's not that hard."

"It's really not," Matthew continued.

"So then how were you able to tap into it? What do you think about to access its power so easily?" Helen asked. Matthew and Jack looked at each other and shrugged, while Matthew answered.

"I just use it. I don't really think much about anything in particular."

"Being a bit of a brute can do that," Olsen answered with an edge in his voice.

"Hey, calm down there hotshot," Jenny said, patting his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. All I meant is that Jack and Matthew's style of fighting requires less intensive thought. Perhaps that is what allows them so much greater control." Helen looked over to Olsen, noting that the patches of hair with color were almost as saturated as Matthew of Jack.

"So then how did you accomplish your control?" Helen asked. Olsen crossed his arms, looking over to Jin with a bit of subtle malice before answering.

"The crystal's power isn't so much another form of energy as it is an extension of your person. It's always there, just not as something one is aware of, like a person following you from a distance." Jenny nodded, trying to compile all the methods she had heard for controlling the crystal's power. Athena taught her thoroughly in Mana Manipulation and gave her extensive lessons in controlling the Emerald Crystal. But Jenny simply could not wrap her mind around keeping her mana separate when using the crystal's power. These new perspectives might give her the boost she needed.

"So did any of you have to fight off Black Wings?" Jack asked, taking off his knucklers and grabbing a nearby towel to wipe the damp dust and sweat from his face.

"My father and I went searching for them every other day. It's one of the reasons I was able to gain so much control of the crystal."

"You went _searching_ for them? Jin, I know you want to make them powerful in as little time as possible, but that's just suicide!" Kyrin interjected.

"It was a necessary risk," Jin answered coldly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It was one that was foolishly taken. What might have happened if Olsen were to face a soldier much stronger than he?" Athena asked, furrowing her brow.

"Then I would have stepped in. I did not task Olsen with foes he could not defeat."

"I must agree with Kyrin and Athena. While the risk in coming here meant that facing the Black Wings was a possibility, at least the training grounds would have assisted them. Leaving the grounds in search of the Black Wings was much too big a risk, especially without the training they now have." Dances interjected. Jin huffed, turning and walking away from the group until Jenny broke the silence.

"Mom actually helped me fight off a couple of them. I almost got smacked in the face by one though." Jenny laughed nervously, holding up the shoulder piece of her training outfit that had been burned.

"Looks like you were able to avoid it just in time. Nicely done," Olsen replied with a slight grin, holding up his forearm to show a scar running from his wrist to his elbow.

"I feel you there, Olsen. Matt and I got tagged too." Jack said, pulling up his shirt to show where a few bandages were wrapped across his torso. Matthew tilted his head to the side, revealing a scar on his neck, just below his jaw.

"Wow, the Black Wings are nothing like the game portrayed them. " Helen said, leaning closer to Jack and holding her hands over the bandage while a pastel green glow emanated from them.

"Hey, what are you…" Jack backed away from her gesture until he realized the pain in his side had diminished significantly.

"What was that?" Jack asked, putting a hand to his side.

"I think it was Heal, the first spell a Cleric mage gets on the first job advancement. What happened to you, anyway?" Olsen asked as Jack took off the bandage while Matthew explained.

"About two weeks ago. While we were running the course. I was behind Jack trying to catch up when a fireball hits him in the side. I was able to keep the Black Wing's mage too busy to cast another spell until Dad and Kyrin got there."

"You two need to work on your spatial awareness. Doing so would have prevented this from happening. I can show you how after we return to Herb Town." Olsen said, crossing his arms and lower his brow. Jack glared at Olsen, a smirk turning up the corner of his mouth as he shook his head until Matthew remembered their training completion gifts.

A few minutes later, they both came back. Matthew wore a black robe trimmed in gold with a gold dragon embroidered into the front. Silver colored grieves adorned his feet, and a Great Helm of Ruby guarded his head. Across his back was a giant Black Scimitar while the smaller straight sword, the Silver Gladius, hung from his belt. Jack had been dressed in a white tank top with a handkerchief around his neck, loose fitting brown cargo pants, and sturdy leather shoes. On his head was a Sea Man's hat, while the Primes that he wore were accented by the leather bracers on his forearms. On his hip hung the larger Cold Colt pistol, displaying silver scrollwork down the length of the barrel.

After Jenny, Olsen, and Helen had finished their admiring, Lillianne took three pairs of earrings from her nap sack and handed Olsen a set of Amethyst plate earrings, then quickly gave Jack a pair of rare Red Emerald earrings. When she came to Matthew, she took his hand and placed the same Red Emeralds in his hand along with a small piece of paper and closed his hand over it.

"Take these as a gift from me for finishing your training." She said, her cheeks flushing slightly at the feel of Matthew's hands in hers. Matthew's heart skipped a beat when he looked into her eyes, feeling as if he had seen her before. Flashes of his dream on the ship came to mind, and he recognized her face as the girl in his arms, covered in blood. Matthew was about to say something, but she quickly backed away as the masters gathered them to one place so Aran could speak to them again.

"Your training thus far has been preparing you for what lays ahead. Things may seem easy now, but trust me, they are only going to get harder. To help protect you on your journeys, I have one final gift for you all: The Gaia Mantles. These Mantles were created by Minerva by powerful magic, and were hidden deep within the caves of the mighty Zakuhm." Reaching into a second knapsack, Aran pulled out an elegant black cloak, unfolding it and letting it sway in the breeze.

"Lady Helen, to you I give the Ebony Gaia Mantle of Shadows. This mantle will guard you and any it covers from any magic cast upon you: the stronger the magic, the stronger the resistance. There is some ancient writing on the hem of this mantle that holds a powerful spell to use against any foe. Decipher the writing, and you will be able to wield its power." Helen accepted the heavy cape as Aran fastened it around her shoulders and then pulled another from his knapsack.

"Master Olsen, I give you the Crimson Gaia Mantle of Fire. This mantle will protect you or anyone it covers against any sort of fire, even against the relentless breath of Horn Tail. Use this cape well, and it will afford you the power over fire, allowing you to bend any flame to your will, and even to use it as your own. Only a soul with understanding and discipline will be able to unlock the power within this mantle." Olsen stepped forward, clearing his throat a bit as the warm cape was draped over his shoulders and fastened in place.

"To Miss Jenny, I bestow the Azure Gaia Mantle of Water. This mantle has the power to calm any storm and will defend you or anyone it covers from any water or wind-based attack. Listen to the waters and the flow of power within this cloak, and you will unlock its secrets. " Jenny almost seemed like she was drawn forward as Aran placed the cape around her shoulders and secured it.

"Sir Jack, to you I endow with the Emerald Gaia Mantle of Earth. With this mantle, you or anyone it covers will be protected from even the worst of Earthquakes and any landslide or rock hurled at you. Listen to the voice of this grand mantle, and it will allow you to bend the earth to your will, allowing you to even call upon the rocks of the deep to your aid. Be firm, unwavering, and this mantle will teach you the secrets that even I cannot fathom." Jack bowed his head once he had stepped forward, while Aran fastened the cape to his neck.

"And to you, Lord Matthew, I give the Golden Gaia Mantle of Light. This mantle will guard you, or anyone it covers against even the strongest of physical attacks; not even the sharpest sword will cut through its cloth. Embedded into it is an ancient code of Knights that when recited in full, will grant you power from the Spirit of Light. Only in putting another's life before their own will the code reveal itself. Take care of those around you, and the Mantle will reveal its power to you." Matthew knelt as the cape was draped over his shoulders and fastened to the elegant robe he wore.

"Each of these gifts, while elegant, are tools; use them wisely, and you will be the greatest of heroes this world has ever seen, greater than even my companions and I." The Five admired one another's capes as they followed the masters towards Ellinia when a musty sweet smell began to permeate the air. The ground vibrated, making small rocks around them jump and shudder while a low rumble echoed towards them.

"What was that?" asked Olsen, drawing his dagger to the ready while trying and find what had caused the vibration.

"That was a creature I thought had been dealt with many years ago," Athena whispered.

"What? What?" Jenny asked, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.

"That is the very first of beasts that we eliminated from the Ossyria, the Slime King." Dances answered, grinning mischievously as he remembered what he and the other masters had fought before leaving for the world of Earth. The five looked at each other before Matthew spoke up.

"You mean…. The Kerning City Party Quest boss?" Aran raised an eyebrow as he looked to Grandal who nodded.

"Erm, Yes, him… this will be your first mission tomorrow. Go to him and question him on what the Black Mage has planned, get whatever information you can out of him, and then eliminate him. He was as much a threat to the people of Ossyria even when he wasn't under the influence of the Black Mage." Helen put a hand on her chin, looking to think very intently When Jenny spoke up.

"If the Slime King is the same one as we are familiar with, then wouldn't leaving him alone be just as effective?" Helen asked. Aran, puzzled, looked to Athena for an answer, and once he was made aware of the world that these five knew, he better understood Helen's hesitation. Grendal interjected.

"The world that you knew is not the same as this world. Many things are different, but some are similar. The Slime King that you knew was more like a key to solving a puzzle. The Slime King of Ossyria is, in all actuality, the central nervous system of a very aggressive plant-based bacteria. If he is allowed to remain, the Kerning Swamps, and eventually all plant life on Victoria will become dangerously violent. He must be stopped to prevent that danger from arising." Helen stepped forward.

"Should we take some potions with us? If this is as dangerous as you are making it out to be, then I would think taking some would be to our benefit." Dances nodded, wrinkles appearing on his forehead as he thought.

"I am not sure if there _are_ any potions here to give you. There might be a few potions within the Great Hall, but that is an uncertainty."

"It's better than nothing. Let's go check it out." Jenny suggested, following Dances and Matthew back into Perion. Inside the Great Hall, Dances went to the stone platform he typically sat on and pulled a drawer out, revealing a few stubby bottles with white, orange, and red colored liquid inside. Putting a few bottles of each in a knapsack along with some bandages, he closed the drawer and gave the sack to Helen. Jenny's curiosity peaked and looked into the bag to see a rainbow of color but lowered her brow.

"Um, there aren't any Mana potions in here. Isn't that a big thing that we'd need?" Kyrin chuckled and held up a stubby bottle of a blue liquid.

"In the game you're used to, you can either wait for your mana to regenerate or to drink a potion. Here though, a mana restorative, like this, is something only to be used as a last resort. If you use mana restoratives too much, your body will eventually become reliant on it and will no longer be able to make its own mana."

"So then what do these do? Do they still restore health?" Jenny asked, uncertain her questions had an answer.

"No, these potions actually assist your body to heal in certain ways. This white potion will help your body heal from cuts, broken bones, and even bruises. The orange potion boosts your immune system and speeds up your energy recovery. And finally, the red potion will help to recover from any blood loss."

"Wait, blood loss? How dangerous do you think this fight going to be?" Jack asked.

"It's just a precaution. There is a chance you will need it, but it would be unlikely." Matthew raised an eyebrow, looking over to Jack and lifting his eyebrows high.

"I know that Jack getting burned was an eye opener, but this sounds more dangerous than you've been letting on." Jin came forward, drawing his dagger and looking over the blade.

"Yes, this is much more dangerous than you have faced thus far. You will be leaving the helping magic of the training grounds. You will be facing a creature many times your size that can and will hurt you. You will also have to kill."

"So then, what have we been fighting against for the past two months?" Jack asked, realizing that he hadn't seen even one of the creatures he trained against even bleed, which Grendal answered.

"The training grounds provide creations of creatures using mana. These creatures are replicate the physical attributes so that you can be better prepared to face the real creatures."

"So all we gotta do is get into the swamps and get rid of this thing. Easy, just like the game," smiled Jenny until Matthew answered.

"Jenny, this isn't a game. This is real. What you're talking about doing isn't just finishing a quest: we're going to be _killing_ something. Sure we've been training fake stuff, but this is a real live thing." The five looked to one another as the realization of what they had been doing up to that point was nothing compared to what they would have to face, and what Aran meant when he said to 'eliminate' the Slime King.

When the next day dawned, the five were given instructions to meet in the southwest part of the island called Lyth Bay once the Slime King had been defeated. Matthew, Jack, Jenny, and Helen followed Olsen as he led to Kerning, hardly able to believe that what they knew to be Kerning had become a desolate ghost town.

"This is where you've been for two months?!" Jack asked, looking around at the cracked or broken buildings. Olsen nodded as he looked over his shoulder.

"Yes. This is Kerning City. My dad said that it used to be a pretty nice place before The Black Mage was brought back."

"Bummer." Jack sighed. They followed the main road that led to a big drain pipe, the entrance to the swamps behind Kerning. Just before they exited the culvert into the swamp, Olsen stopped them, listening to the air around him.

"Olsen, what's the matter?" Jenny asked.

"You don't feel that?" he asked, looking back to her with wide eyes. Jenny shook her head as she slowly drew her bow.

"If this thing, which is supposed to be the weakest of all party quest boss monsters, is working for the Black Mage and can emanate this level of evil, I can only imagine what the Mage himself is like," Olsen shivered. After Olsen moved forward, Jenny too felt an icy chill race down her spine as her skin became rough with bumps. Jack, Helen, and Matthew also felt the chilling cold as they neared the end of the pipe that seeped into their very beings. Matthew drew the Gladius while Jack tightened his knucklers, and Helen prepared hot flame in her hand as they entered the swamp on a mossy bank.

"Split up, but stay within eyesight. Holler if you see it." Olsen commanded quietly. Carefully, they trekked through the mud and vines, occasionally giving a wide berth to a group of Alligators or Crocodiles. They all were thrown off balance when the ground suddenly jolted, the mud and vines ripple. Jack quickly crouched to the ground to keep his balance before he remembered his mantle. He pulled it around himself, and instantly, the ground below his feet stopped shaking. Once the bank around him stopped quivering, Jack pushed aside his cloak to see, a few yards ahead of him, the Slime King. To his left, Matthew stood stunned; he knew the Slime King was big in the game, but the blob before him was massive.

"Are you the Slime King!?" shouted Jack as he widened his stance, his fists flaring red in preparation to attack. The blob turned its eyes to him, wet squelches echoing in the air from its body.

"And what would you do If I say that I am?" he asked, his voice much more sinister than Jack was ready for, stunning him into silence.

"We have some questions to ask you," Helen said firmly, putting up a brave front as the Slime turned its eyes to her.

"Really? And what is it that you want to know?" Bubbles inside The Slime King's transparent green body floated up as though it were becoming increasingly agitated. Matthew stepped between Helen and the slime.

"What does the Black Mage have in mind? Going through all this trouble just to get the Masters to return can't be his only goal." Matthew demanded as the Slime smiled.

"You're right, that isn't his only goal. His goals are so much simpler, and yet so far advanced that you can't even fathom it. The Black Mage would laugh in your face if he were here." Olsen landed next to the Slime as something black flashed in front of Matthew. A slit in the Slime King's jelly-like skin appeared, and the cut began to ooze thick, green liquid.

"We aren't here to play 20 questions you snot drop. What is The Black Mage Planning? If we wanted to destroy Ossyria, he would have done so already." Olsen sneered. The Slime King looked to Olsen and slowly blinked as it shook his head. The oozing liquid pulled back into the giant blob's body, closing the cut.

"Drop the tough act, it's annoying." The Slime King growled. Olsen didn't know what it was, but he could sense that something was coming, something big and painful.

"GET BACK!" Olsen shouted, throwing his hand down to draw two shurikens and turned to face the incoming threat. From trees around them, thick vines shot down. Helen unleashed her fire spell, turning the vine to ashes. However, Jack was hit in the chest, throwing him under the water. Jenny's right shoulder was hit hard enough to numb it, spinning her around and throwing her against the ground. With a broad swing, Olsen hurled the first shuriken at the vine, and the second cutting through the vines aimed for Jack and Jenny. Matthew felt a stiff punch to his back, knocking him forward and knocking the breath out of him.

"Matt! Behind you!" Olsen shouted. Wind curled around Matthew as he stood and swung behind him, splitting the second vine coming at him. Helen teleported to Jack, pulling him from the water, then teleported to Jenny. With a quick wipe of his face, Jack launched into a horizontal corkscrew into Slime King, exploding part of his body. Jenny reached for her crossbow with her left and took aim at the slime where Jack had hit. Three rings of mana encircled the bolt, creating a small shock wave as it fired into the Slime, further exploding its body.

Olsen rushed behind Jenny, drawing his dagger and obliterating a rush of vines aimed for her. Meanwhile, Helen appeared next to her, placing a glowing green hand on her shoulder.

"Hurry it up! I can't keep this going forever!" Olsen commanded, his dagger becoming another whirl of metal and mana

"Just hold them back a while longer. Jenny's nerves were shocked into short-circuiting. I can heal it, but it'll take a bit."

"Forget me, we need to take care of the Slime King!" Jenny shouted, shoving away Helen's hand and grabbing her crossbow again. Matthew sheathed his Gladius and drew the Scimitar from across his back, light gathering at the hilt before bursting and propelling it through the Slime King's body. Another shiver ran down Olsen's spine, snapping his attention behind him to see the Slime King's body compress.

"He's gonna jump!" Olsen shouted. Jack leaped back, compressing mana between his hands into and grenade, pulling the pin with his teeth and lobbing it under the blob as it left the ground. Mana gathered in Jenny's crossbow to form a bolt as rings surrounded the bolt, again firing it with a shockwave, knocking the slime off center. Helen focused on the head of her staff, casting a frosty spell on the water, creating a tall spear of ice just as Jack's grenade landed in the water.

The Slime King landed on the spear, driving deep into his body as the grenade detonated. The Slime King's body exploded, hurling globules of slime and shards of ice in all directions, some of which sliced through their skin. Matthew, Jack, and Jenny all hissed through their teeth as they examined the razor-thin cuts on their arms, face, and legs.

"Ok, good plan. But next time, let's try to find cover _before_ we get showered in ice." Jack called. Helen huffed to herself, once again calling on her healing magic to reset Jenny's nerves and to heal all their small cuts.

"Do you think we got him?" Matthew asked, looking back at the exploded puddle of green slop.

"I don't think so, look," said Olsen, pointing out that the Slime was pulling itself back together. Jenny nocked an arrow and was beginning to draw when a vine wrapped around her. Images of Stumpy crushing her flashed through her mind as she felt the vines wrap tighter around her. Ghost pains in her chest and arms pulsed, remembering the feeling of her bones giving under the pressure.

" _How can I still be unable to avoid this?!"_ Jenny thought until Olsen cut apart the vines in a hazy blue blur.

"FOCUS!" he yelled, rushing to the slime as it was reforming, cutting through its skin to slow its progress. Red flames shot up around Matthew as tiny tongues of fire appeared on Jack and Olsen's shoulders. Matthew's scimitar roared with power, swinging hard enough to split a chunk from the Slime King, but felt a wave of exhaustion come over him.

" _What the heck was that?_ " he thought, only to be thrown aside as a root tossed him into a nearby tree, leaving him gasping for air on the ground. Helen drove her hands forward, freezing the two parts Matthew had cut in place. Jack drew his pistol, backing away from the Slime King and firing on one of his eyes. Olsen jumped to the surrounding trees, using them to accelerate his movements, cutting the Slime King's body and throwing flaming shuriken into his Jelly-like body. Jenny fired as she ran, using a combination of her Spine Arrow and Bomb Arrow to punch through portions of his body. Helen then cast lightning strikes upon the frozen body parts, snapping them out of existence. At the end of their volley, the Slime King looked like melting jello.

"Now, are you going to tell us what we asked you?" Jack asked, reloading his pistol and snapping the cylinder shut. Olsen halted in a tree above the scene, readying another pair of Shuriken. The Slime King remained silent and turned his remaining eye to them. The ice holding his body apart broke, allowing him to pull the goop of his body back together while healing the wounds they had inflicted. Matthew sprinted from behind, spurring Jack, Helen, and Jenny to attack with him. However, Olsen didn't move: something about their approach seemed off and thought back to what Grendal said before they left.

" _Many things are different, but some are similar._ " That one thought kept repeating in his mind. What was so different about this slime then all the other slimes he had faced while training? Granted their training was against mana creations, bet even they had the attributes of any regular slime. What were they missing? And how was the Slime King different from the one he knew about in the game?

"Everyone! Retreat and regroup! There might be something we're missing!" Olsen called. Matthew looked back for a moment and then raised his sword high as a blue light gathered around the guard, propelling his sword with ground-shaking force to split the Slime again, allowing them to retreat. Once a fair distance away, Jenny was the first to ask what it was that Olsen was thinking.

"Do you remember what Grendal said about some things being different? What if the Slime King is one of those instances?" He said, prompting the others to think along the same lines.

"Now that I think about it, there is one thing that seemed different about the Slime King here. Something was floating inside of it towards the top, which was connected to its eyes." Helen said as she looked up to see whether or not the blob was coming. Jenny noticed that Matthew breathing harder, leaning against a crook of roots. She went to him and put a hand on his shoulder, wincing as she reached.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked. Matthew rolled his head to face her.

"I don't know. I used some of the crystal power, but it wore me out after just one use." Helen overheard him, placing a hand on his arm as a pulse of magic flowed through his body.

"You've used up a lot of your mana. That could have a lot to do with it. My grandfather told me that the closer you get to running out of mana, the more easily you get winded. And from what I've come to understand about the crystal's power, it is much more potent than mana, so as a result ends up using much more of your body's energy to use it."

"So if I'm already tired, then it'll wear me out even faster. But how come that didn't happen back at the training grounds?" Matthew asked. Olsen interjected.

"It was _because_ we were in the training grounds. Remember, those grounds are there to help us. We're out here in the real world now, with no support other than our own. "Speaking of Mana, I'm running a little low myself. I think I have a few attacks left in me, and maybe one big one, but that's about it. What about the rest of you?" Olsen asked. Helen took a moment to assess her stores and nodding that she still had an ample supply, as did Jack. However, Jenny noted that she had about half of her mana reserves left.

"Then, our current method of attack won't work. The Slime King simply pulls his body back together. All we're going to do is wear ourselves out. If my thinking is right, then that thing Helen saw floating inside the Slime King is what's keeping it together. If we can destroy that, I think we can bring it down." Answered Olsen.

"To our credit, this thing is just a super mutated bacteria," Helen said when Jack threw his arms out and leaned in.

"Yeah! A giant freaking bacteria that has control of vines!"

"It got me too when I wasn't paying attention. It made me think back to when Stumpy had me and nearly crushed me." Jenny answered, looking through the knapsack for an orange potion that she gave to Matthew.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen again, but we need to focus on the mission," Olsen said. A crackling branch made them all freeze, carefully pushing aside some of the vines, revealing that the Slime King was quietly rolling through the swap, looking for them.

"So what's the plan?" Matthew whispered after drinking the potion and recovering some of his energy. Helen grabbed a stick, drawing up rude schematics to follow.

"We'll do this: Jenny, Jack, and I will create a diversion by attacking from the front. Matthew and Olsen, you will get behind and above him. When I give the signal, Matthew will jump down first to cut an opening. Olsen will follow closely behind so that he can get into the body of the Slime to deliver the final blow to whatever that thing is. If you can, use your crystal power to make the attack more effective."

"I need another couple of minutes before we go. I haven't gotten enough energy back yet." With a final nod, they waited and split off from one another once Matthew had recovered. Matthew and Olsen crept as quietly as they could through the trees, while the others ran into the path of the Slime King.

"What's this now? Are you going to try and make me talk again?" Slime King asked with a mocking tone. Jack drew his pistol, firing a round between Slime King's eyes, making its body billow away in a splash.

"Tell us now. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way," Jack smirked, his arms tensing, almost itching to fight. Jenny nocked an arrow, watching Olsen and Matthew as they climbed a tree to get into position. When Matthew and Olsen were ready, Jenny fired a Bomb Arrow that exploded near the Slime King, splattering mud all over him.

Gritting its teeth, the Slime King jumped high into the air prompting Matthew and Olsen to hold onto the tree they stood on to keep their balance. Helen fired a frozen sacred arrow at the Slime King, causing him to shriek as a patch of his body splashed before being frozen. Once Matthew ensured his footing was secure, he scanned over the Slime King to confirm the existence of the cluster Helen had spoken of. When he did see it, he saw that it wasn't just a 'command center'; it was the Slime King's brain! Nerves intertwined throughout the goop of its body, bobbing inside its body. Mana flared around Jack's fist as he threw a powerful punch, forcing back, below the tree where Olsen and Matthew stood.

"NOW!" Helen shouted, freezing the ground around the Slime King to hold it in place. Matthew leaned forward, pushing himself off with enough to nearly breaking the thick branch he stood on, followed by Olsen doing the same. Matthew drew his Gladius and cut a large opening on the unbroken skin of the monster. Olsen then pulled two shurikens from his stash, pale pink flames erupting around them as he hurled them into the opening, further deepening the cut. Just before diving through the opening, Olsen drew his dagger, plunging into the thick ooze of his body, aiming for the brain. The Slime King's eyes widened when it felt the increasingly deep cut into its body, realizing what was happening. Quickly, it began closing the wound, catching Olsen in its thick body mere inches from its brain.

"I can't have you doing something like that. Your parents made me have to heal for over 20 years, but now I won't be so easily taken down." A long, slick hair from the brain began growing while it moved further into the center of his body. The hair broke through the top of his head and stood straight up with a glowing glob of its body on the end of the hair. Olsen struggled to swim further down to his target. But every time he came close, the brain moved further down inside the Slime King's body. Matthew tried to cut deeper to get Olsen out but missed as he swam deeper.

When the glob stopped glowing, drops from the Slime's body fell to the ground, beginning to hop around and attach to The Five's heads. As Jack, Helen, and Jenny fought off the slime army, Jack noticed the slime squashing its body as though it were getting ready to jump.

"Everyone! JUMP!" he shouted. The Slime jumped high into the air and landed with earth-cracking force, the shock of which blew Jack, Helen, and Jenny, back. Matthew was thrown from his perch atop the Slime King, landing on his back in the mud, gasping for air. Jack managed to right himself, and skid to a stop through the mud while shaking his head, trying to stop the ringing in his ears from the shockwave. When the ringing subsided, he noticed that Olsen's movements were becoming slower, and his face was beginning to turn blue.

"JENNY! Get Olsen some air now!" Jack shouted, running up and punching a hole in the slime. Jenny scrambled to her feet, aqua light engulfing the bow as she nocked and fired two arrows through the hole Jack had made. But even with the use of her mana in tandem with what little control of the Emerald Crystal she could manifest, it wasn't enough to reach Olsen before the Slime King closed the hole completely.

Olsen's struggling only sped up his need for breath, and the only way he'd be able to breathe soon enough was to take out that brain. Just as Olsen reached the Slime King's brain, his vision went black, and he passed out, hanging limp in the thick goop. Matthew finally regained his breath and rolled over when he saw Olsen hanging motionless in the Slime King.

"Jack! Can you throw me above this giant booger?" He called, wrenching his body out of the thick mud.

"Not with your swords, they make you too heavy," Jack answered as he punched through a smaller slime beside him and then elbowed another behind him. Matthew undid the buckles holding his swords and let them fall to the ground as he began running.

"JACK! BOOST ME UP! JENNY! SHOOT HELEN'S STAFF AT ME!"

"But what if I…"

"JUST DO IT!" Matthew bellowed as Jack threw him into the air. Jenny took Helen's staff and drew her bow, firing it at Matthew who caught ahold of it. He then held it as though it were a sword, light gathering where the guard would be, and swung down. With no footing, the staff's momentum pulled him down like lead, plunging into the goop and driving the bottom of the staff through the brain. The Slime King's eyes became slits as he howled in pain while his body melted into a giant puddle. Jenny ran over to Olsen, wiping away the slime from his face and nose, trying to get him to breathe. She then set her bow down and began pressing on his chest in a rhythm.

"Come on, Olsen! I don't want my first kiss to be like this!" For nearly a minute, Jenny pressed on Olsen's chest until he abruptly sat up and coughed up small globs of slime. Matthew shook his hands off, yanking the staff out of the Slime's brain and shaking it off as well. Some of the Slime King's body gathered into a mouth and began speaking again, this time in a higher pitched voice.

"You have only begun to suffer! The Black Mage's plans are already in motion, and there is no stopping them!"

"We'll be coming for the Black Mage in due time. And he will be stopped." Jack growled.

"Don't forget that you are the ones who will reap the bloody seeds of battle! The Black Mage will be the supreme ruler!"

"What do you mean by 'Supreme Ruler?'" Helen asked angrily. The eyes of the slime appeared next to the mouth and seemed to smile.

"You're the smart one, you figure it out," it said before a vine began wrapping around her leg from under the ground. The slimy mud still clinging to the vine made Helen freeze, panic racing through her mind as she looked down to see what had grabbed her, seeing flashbacks of her assault at the docks in Ohio. All at once, the vine tightened, and a loud crack was heard provoking a shrill scream from her as she was thrown to the ground. Frigid air erupted from Helen's hand, freezing the Slime King's remains, which shattered as Jack fired his pistol into it. The vine around her leg fell limp while the goop of his body melted into a puddle of inanimate liquid. Instantly, Helen reached for her leg where a large bruise had formed, groaning in pain while rolling to the side while beginning to heal it. Olsen came over to her, looking over her leg for a moment before pulling her hands away, still coughing up bits of slime.

"Why'd you stop me? I need to heal it!" Helen cried.

"The bone still needs to be set. Do you even know how to…"

"The healing spell can reconnect bones and put them back into place. If I were out of mana, then we'd need to set it." Olsen nodded, holding up his hands and allowing her to continue.

"If you were out of mana, you'd still be able to use your crystal power for the healing spell." Jack pointed out, kneeling next to her.

"Right now, that's not possible, at least not for a would like this. I can't control the crystal to that level of accuracy at the moment." It was ten minutes before Helen was able to walk, allowing them to journey to Lyth Bay. During the trip, the thought of having made their first kill hung over them. Yes, they had killed something which was a giant ball of slime controlled by bacteria, which Helen tried to point out. However, the victory still felt odd to them since the Slime King had been able to talk and even appeared to feel pain. Until that point, the only creatures they had ever faced were mana creations which were incapable of speech. While they journeyed to Lyth Bay, all five of them used nearby streams to clean the thick mud and goop from their clothes and weapons.

Once they met up with the masters and returned to Herb Town, the ecstasy of the inhabitants allowed them to put their unsure feelings aside and greet them with open arms. Matthew felt unease as he would catch glimpses of Lillianne standing on the edge of the crowds. He thought it had something to do with the dream he had and how uncanny the resemblance to the woman who died was. He could tell she liked him, and he was attracted to her. Matthew wanted to believe that the dream was really just something weird his mind came up with because of all the pressure that had been put on him. That explanation, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself with, just didn't feel right.

" _It's just a dream. Probably nothing to worry about_ ," Matthew thought, his attention going back to the swarm of people all around him.

* * *

The Mage's eyes grinned as lowered his crystal ball. He had seen the entire battle against the Slime King and was pleased with the results. Those children were going to be the finest heroes he had ever encountered once fully trained; everything was now in motion. Eleanor walked into his room, sitting down at his feet and leaning against his knees. It had been well over 40 years since she came into the service of the Black Mage, discovering him deep within the caverns of the Sleeping Wood among the abandoned mines of the Sharenian.

Her entire family, who she was the youngest of, had fallen ill and died before she could get back in time with medicine from Mu Lung to cure them. In her grief, she wandered to the very place where the Black Mage had been sealed. She too was falling ill with the same sickness as her family, but the medicine did little to heal her. Seeing her in such a weakened state, whether out of pity or spite, The Mage treated her. In return, she pledged herself to him, latching onto him as though he was her father, or rather, something more. She had been cured by this man who seemed to have power beyond what she could fathom. Questioning whispers filled the air as The Mage stroked Eleanor's hair.

"In fact, yes, I have. I've just sent the Grand Skelegons to retrieve Francis' soul from his fortress of dolls in the Sleeping Wood." The Mage hissed in his throat approvingly, leaning down and kissing the top of her head at which she turned up to meet his hollow gaze. Whispers of instruction followed as The Mage held up his hand to reveal the images of six people. Two such people Eleanor was familiar with, but the other four she had only heard about. Eleanor smiled and blushed slightly, laying her head down on his knees again.

"Thank you, master, I hope that I can live up to your expectations as a leader." She whispered. Even though he was the only thing in her life, she was thankful for him, because, without him, she wouldn't have the power or the vitality she had now.

"I know I've told you this a thousand times before, but thank you, Master. I owe you my life." She thought, happily sitting at his feet while watching the sunset from the window of his fortress.


	34. G - Chapter 6-5: Eleanor and Checky

Chapter 6.5: Eleanor and Checky

Ellee skipped down the road from their trip into town for her ninth birthday present. Her older sister Selina, 14, and two brothers, Michal, 16, and Logan, 19, trailed behind her like a pack of wolves.

"Come on you slowpokes! We're never going to get there at this rate." Ellee called as she stopped at the top of a ridge.

"Ellee, you know you're supposed to stay with us." Her sister Selina called, brushing her reddish-brown hair out of her face. Ellee laughed as she skipped further down the road until her older brother Michal came running up behind her, scooping her up over his shoulder as she giggled and squealed. It wasn't much longer until the small group reached their house where Hillanna, their mother, stood hanging out the laundry and Derik, their father, was mending a fence where they kept horses and pigs.

"Welcome home, you four. I trust that your trip to Henesys was uneventful?" Hillanna asked as she spotted them coming up the road until she saw Ellee's dress.

"Oh, Ellee, you've soiled your best dress," she commented as Ellee looked down and saw the many mud splatters on the bright yellow fabric, making her stop and begin crying.

"It's not her fault! There was a heard of wild Boar chasing after us, and she fell into a bramble bush. We really didn't have a choice in what happened." Logan explained as Ellee began crying a bit harder, expecting a harsh punishment until her father knelt down and put his arm around her, putting her head on to his shoulder.

"Hush my child. I'm just glad that you're alright. We'll have this fixed in no time. Why don't you go inside and change, I'll try and get those stains out." He soothed. Those words always made Ellee feel better as Derik kissed her forehead.

The happy little family lived on the fringes of Ellinia and Henesys where the forest began to thin into vast and flat plains. Selina playfully punched Logan in the arm, launching them all into a game of tag that Ellee joined after she had changed. Hillanna brushed the back of her hand against her head to wipe away the sweat: the past few days had been demanding. She had begun to always feel tired, and no amount of rest could cure it. Derik came over to her, firmly massaging her shoulders as he watched their kids play and wrestle in the yard.

"How are you today, my love?" he asked, rubbing the sides of her arms before putting his arms around her waist.

"The same as always: it feels like I've run for hours, and yet all I've done is hung out the laundry." She said, placing her soft hands on Derik's: she liked hanging the laundry out to dry when the weather was warm, drenching the sheets in the scents of the forest.

"Maybe we should call Grendal and have him take a look at you." He said. Hillanna turned around and shook her head.

"Grendal has plenty of other things to concern himself with rather than looking after one housewife."

"Well then if not Grendal, why not at least go and see Dr. Faymos?" She shook her head again at this idea, but Derik insisted until she finally gave in to see the doctor in the morning. When morning did come, however, Hillanna could hardly move. She felt as if her world was tipping from side to side, and her body pulsed with pain as though she had just gotten over the flu. Derik watched as she stumbled from the bed to the door frame of their bedroom, panting with flushed cheeks. Immediately he got up and went to her just as her knees buckled and collapsed to the floor, he hand rushing to her forehead.

"You have an incredible fever! You're going to Dr. Faymos now." Derik said firmly, picking her up in his arms and taking her to his horse. When he came back inside, Logan was sitting at the table nursing a glass of water while holding his head.

"Logan? Are you feeling alright son?" Derik asked. Logan looked up from his glass and nodded.

"My head just hurts a little; I probably didn't drink enough water yesterday."

"Alright then; I need you to look after the others until we get back. We shouldn't be gone for more than 3 hours." Logan nodded and continued to nurse the cup of water. He felt ridiculously tired like all the strength had been taken away from him. In any case, Logan needed to get the others up and ready to begin the chores. He quickly washed the cup and put it in the drying rack before slowly walking his way back to his sibling's room.

* * *

"Hmmm… I don't see anything particularly wrong with you. If this were some kind of virus, then your tonsils would be all swollen, but they aren't even puffy. You say that you felt like you just got over the flu this morning and that you've been mysteriously tired?"

"Yes, that's right," Hillanna answered. Faymos cradled his chin in the space between his thumb and forefinger, thinking through his massive library of a mind to give them an answer.

"To tell the truth, I have no idea what is wrong. The only other one who could tell you is Grendal who has yet to return from going to the Temple of Time. In the meantime, just go home and get plenty of rest." Hillanna nodded and with the help of Derik, walked back to the horse where she was helped up and then taken back to their house. Faymos, however, was worried; what could cause something like this to happen? For hours he looked over his medical books, beginning to wonder if maybe this was magical instead of physical that could be taking place. He was at his wit's end and decided that he needed Grendal. If he hadn't returned, then maybe there would be something in the Ellinian library about this strange sickness.

* * *

Hillanna's head lifted from her pillow, doubling over with a gut-wrenching cough. It had been three days since their visit to Dr. Faymos, but Grendal still hadn't returned. Logan watched over her, barely able to move his own arms as he squeezed out the towel and placed it on her head.

"Logan, go and get some rest, I'll be fine," Hillanna instructed when Ellee came in, looking worried as her sister Selina stumbled in behind her, looking just as tired as Logan.

"Mommy? Selina's not looking so good." She said softly, helping her sister into a chair next to Hillanna. Michal came in too, looking like Logan had in the early morning.

"Michal, you too?" Hillanna asked, weakly holding out her hand to him. There was a knock at the door which Derik stood and answered quickly.

"Dr. Faymos! Have you found what might be causing this?" he asked, answered by Faymos's eager nod.

"It is a Magic Virus called the Life Eater. I went to Grendal's library that this virus eats away at a person's mana until the Virus's demand for it begins to eat away at the person's Life Force. It explains why she was so tired. It looks as if it has infected your children as well." Ellee held her hands to her mouth; so far, her brothers, sister, father, and mother all had this virus, and they were going to die!

"Is there a cure?" Derik asked.

"Yes, there is. But I am not skilled enough to make it. There is one in Mu Lung named Tae Sang. From what I hear, he is an old Panda extremely gifted in making potions that can cure anything. The particular one that he has developed is called the Elixir of Life. From what is mentioned here in this book that should cure it."

"Where do I go?" Ellee asked, eager to make her family what it was just two days before. Her father was beginning to become too sick to move on his own, and Ellee seemed to be the only one unaffected as of yet by this virus.

"You would be willing to go the Mu Lung?" Faymos asked in surprise. Ellee nodded her head, looking back at Logan, her oldest brother as he sat by Hillanna.

"Very well: take this bag of Meso and go to the shipyard in Ellinia. Tell the ticket master that you want to go to Orbis. Once there find a person by the name of Agatha and ask her to help you. Tell her that you want to go to Mu Lung. She will guide you through the station there in Orbis: it's a huge place. Once you reach Mu Lung, talk to a panda named Do Gong and ask for Tae Sang. Ask him for his Elixir of Life." Faymos explained. Ellee listened intently to the instructions she was given, running for Ellinia with tears streaming from her eyes. She didn't want to lose any of her family, especially Logan. He was like her security blanket, someone she went to when everything went wrong and the one person she admired almost as much as her mother.

The trip from Victoria to Orbis couldn't end soon enough, but she was the first one to run off the ship and begin searching for Agatha whom she found at the information desk. Once she had explained her situation, Agatha quickly guided Ellee through the crowds of people. She even went so far as to buy her ticket to Mu Lung. It wasn't long until she was flying through the breezes onto Mu Lung where she would meet Do Gong. He was aware of her coming since Agatha had called ahead. With every passing moment, she wanted to smack the bird that carried her to make it go faster. She felt precious hours ticking away in getting to Mu Lung. All the same, when the large crane finally landed, Ellee was met by Do Gong who took her straight to Tae Sang.

"Yes, what can I do for you, young one?" Tae Sang asked as he set both of his paws in his cane

"Please Mr. Sang, my family has come down with the Life-Eater Virus, and you're the only one that can make an Elixir of Life to save my family, please oh please make it for me!" Ellee sputtered in a continuous stream, almost incomprehensible. Tae Sang smiled, and he motioned for her to follow him into his quarters where bottles, herbs, and roots rested on the wall. On the counter was an elegant bottle with a swirling violet potion inside, which Sang reached for it and held it out to her.

"Here, take it. I just finished it, so it isn't as potent as if you were to wait a few days. But it is still strong enough to do the job. Give a spoonful to everyone, and they will be cured." Ellee gently took the bottle and hugged it close, while tears of thankfulness streamed down her cheeks.

"Now go!" Tae Sang urged as Do Gong escorted her back to the platform after she had purchased a ticket and was sent on her way back to Orbis on an emergency launch. No Gong called back to Orbis to make sure that a ship was ready to take her back to Victoria on an emergency launch.

"Are you sure about giving her the Elixir without payment?" Do Gong asked Sang as they watched the crane fly away.

"There is no need to further her anxiety. I doubt though that she will make it in time. The Life-Eater virus is a powerful strain of the Blue Fire sickness. Once symptoms of the Life-Eater begin to show, as I assume they already have, the victims have a day at most."

* * *

As Ellee had changed ships in Orbis, she noticed that she began feeling tired, just like her mother and Logan. Worry filled her heart that she was coming down with the virus herself. She thought about taking some of the Elixer but refused, telling herself that it was for her family first and then she would take some. Quietly she went below the deck of the Ticket's ship and curled into a ball, falling asleep and waiting to arrive in Ellinia. _What she opened her eyes to was a world that she no longer recognized: everything was shifted and rearranged. Entire cities were engulfed in flames, people ran everywhere as strange and twisted beasts chased them, some even being caught as blood splattered everywhere._

 _She felt a presence behind her and turned to see a black cloud rising over the entirety of Ossyria, stretching its arms and boney fingers out until bright lavender eyes opened._ The sight made her jerk out of her sleep, clutching the bottle of Elixir with white knuckles, feeling exhausted. The ship was slowing and pulling into the dock, running up the stairs and tearing down the gangplank, through the town and back to her house despite her quickly fading energy. It seemed like forever, but she finally made it back to her home just as the sun was coming up. She slowed to a walk, stumbling and leaning from side to side due to her exhaustion but forced her feet to walk, slumping into the door.

"I have it! I have the potion!" she called. However, there was no response, no weak thankful voice, just silence. She looked up to see her sister slumped over in her chair with a gaping expression and her usually sparkling brown eyes dull and lifeless. She looked back to Michal, who was collapsed on the floor beside her father slumped over with pale skin and rolled back eyes. Her mother lay still as stone, with one hand hanging over the edge. But the worst was Logan: he lay face first on the floor, reaching out for the door as if trying to go and meet her. Weakly, Ellee clambered over to him and listened to his chest: he was still breathing! Quickly she rolled him over the best she could, and patted his face, his skin beginning to feel clammy.

"Logan! Logan, can you hear me?" Logan took a ragged breath and opened his eyes to her, smiling and trying to put his hand on her shoulder, but being so weak that he could barely breathe.

"Ellee, you made it back." he wheezed. Ellee nodded as she brought the bottle up, showing it to him. Logan seemed to be saying something, but Ellee couldn't hear anything he was saying as she pulled the cork from the bottle and poured what she thought to be a spoonful into his mouth. Logan weakly swallowed, as his eyes looked back to her, and in one burst of will powered strength, reached for her hand and squeezed with every last ounce of strength he had.

"Ellee, you will never… be alone. So long as you think of me, I will live in your heart." Ellee gripped his hands, waiting in tearful anticipation for the potion to kick in, but nothing was happening. Logan smiled as he took one last breath and slowly let it out, his grip no longer there and his skin turning ashen colored. Ellee called to him, cradling his head in her small lap, but remaining unanswered. Ellee grabbed the bottle and poured half the contents into his mouth, but still, nothing happened. Ellee could no longer hold back the enormous sorrow she felt, wailing to the winds where no one heard her lonesome cries. For an hour, she stayed by Logan's body until her tears ran dry.

She felt lost, confused: she drank the rest of the potion, but nothing happened. Slowly, Ellee got up and walked out of her hut to any place that would be away from here. But where would she go? She had no other family that she knew of, and Ellee was only nine years old. She was nowhere near old enough to become an apprentice to Grendal, so what would she do? Her wonderings led her to the Sleeping Wood, where creatures watched her movements with dripping fangs and salivating mouths, waiting for the right opportunity to pounce on her. Still, she walked, falling down pathways in the dark, but getting back up, not even feeling the pain of the cuts she had received from the sharp rocks. At last, she came to the darkest part of the cave where nothing grew, and nothing came close. Ellee fell to her face when the last of her strength had been sapped by the Virus, managing to cry one final tear.

"So, this is how it ends for me?" she asked to the dark, slowly closing her eyes and letting the darkness close in around her, reaching out to her last bit of life.

"Mother… Logan… I'm sorry…"

"Your death doesn't have to be here, child." A gentle voice growled. Ellee's eyes flew open at the sound of the reassuring voice accompanied by a multitude of whispers but was too weak to move.

"Who, who are you?" she asked weakly.

"Sh, sh, sh… don't speak. I was sealed under this stone before you. If you allow me, I can cure you of your sickness." A strange black light illuminated the cave revealing a rock with a carved seal into it. Ellee wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real or if what this voice promised was even possible as she thought back to what had happened to her bother.

"I got the medicine, and drank it, but it has done nothing." She whimpered, unable to muster the energy to cry.

"Then allow me. I am someone who can take care of you. Your sorrow tells me everything. Everyone you know is gone. But I will be someone who will always be there for you." the man's voice sounded kind and sincere. Hope began to take root in her young heart. Nodding, she signified that she would allow the voice to do what needed to be done. She just didn't want to die. Arms made of pure aura reached out to her body and lifted her into the air.

"This may be somewhat painful, but please try to endure." The voice said again. Ellee took a breath and relaxed her body as the aura arms sent something painful through her small frame as if it were a jolt of electricity. She arched her body as a blue cloud began leaking from her mouth. Days went by, and the same process would be repeated up to five times a day, draining the soft chocolate color from her hair until it was a cutting silver. When at last the virus had been purged from her body, Ellee once again stood to her full height under her own strength looking over her hands and body feeling better than ever.

"If you wish, you may leave." The voice said when Ellee walked over to the rock and knelt down, putting her hand on it.

"I have nowhere left to go. Teach me; teach me to be as powerful as you. I want to help you get out from under that terrible seal!" Ellee said as the aura hands came up again and stood her to her feet.

"Very well. I will teach you, but you must be warned that it will, at times, be painful."

"I understand." She said, breathing thankfully, knowing that her entire life lay ahead of her now.

"Good. What is your name, little one?"

"Ellee, Ellee Kale."

"Ellee. From this point on, you are my apprentice, and you shall be known as Eleanor." Ellee swished the name around in her head a moment, enjoying the way it sounded.

"May I ask what your name is Master?" the aura around the rock glowed a strange bright black color as if the person in the seal was smiling.

"I am The Black Mage."

* * *

Logan yanked his head from the floor, looking around at all his family who lay dead, the smell of decay all around him. He stood up, thinking back to when he had seen Ellee return with the bottle of Elixir and pour some in his mouth. As Logan looked around for her, his foot hit the bottle the Elixir had been in. He looked around the house calling for her, but she was nowhere to be seen or heard. Logan ran through the house, grabbed his canteen of water, and was about to leave when the bathroom mirror showed his hair had become snow white. He stayed only for a moment and then quickly went to search for his little sister.

" _Guys, I'll come back and bury you soon, I just need to see If I can find Ellee._ " He thought as he searched for days but found nothing. When he finally came back, the family had been buried with a small flower on each of the shallow graves. He wondered who had buried them and called for anyone, but no one answered. Bowing his head, he prayed for them, thankful that they were at least buried so respectfully, then left for the shipyard in Ellinia. He would start a new life somewhere else. A friend of his told him about a mining town west of Ossyria called Edelstein that was just beginning. With a heavy heart, he decided _that_ was where he would start his life over. A few hours later he landed in the port, looking around at all the machines that clanked and hummed in the city when he bumped into a well-dressed man.

"Oh, Sorry." Logan apologized, grabbing the man before he toppled over.

"Oh no, it's quite alright. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you new here?" the man asked.

"Yes. I actually came here on the referral of a friend to possibly find some work."

"Well, then my boy; let me be the first to welcome you to Edelstein. My name is Albert, Mayor of this town. What might your name be?" the man asked, extending his hand. Logan thought for a moment and then smiled, firmly gripping his hand in return. If he was going to start a new life, might as well start with a new name too.

"Chuck, but my friends call me Checky."


End file.
